BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 JV Islamic Alonso bank to add ‘signifi cant double lift s value’ to Chelsea as INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-5, 24 COMMENT 22, 23 Moroccan REGION 6 BUSINESS 1-4, 16-20 economy Spurs climb 19,832.00 10,709.47 52.35 ARAB WORLD 6-8 CLASSIFIED 5-15 +29.00 +5.18 -0.66 INTERNATIONAL 9-21 SPORTS 1-12 to second +0.15% +0.05% -1.25% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

SUNDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10334 January 15, 2017 Rabia II 17, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Job-change In brief rules made QATAR | Market Initiative to promote healthy competition The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has launched simpler for an initiative to create awareness about the abuse of monopolistic practices and the need to prevent it. According to a release issued by the ministry, the drive is aimed at raising the awareness of all the parties concerned about the negative expatriates consequences of commercial practices that undermine fair HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attending a symposium on Islet Cell Transplantation (ICT) – a ground-breaking and lifesaving he Ministry of Administrative the service by entering their Qatar ID competition and their bad eff ects procedure used to treat patients with severe type 1 diabetes. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker / HHOPL Development, Labour and Social and mobile phone numbers. on the national economy. As part of TAff airs (MADLSA) has amended On entering the PIN sent to the mo- the campaign, the MEC has issued some of the conditions for changing bile number, the worker can see all the leaflets highlighting the importance jobs by expatriates in Qatar, making the information pertaining to him like oc- of the issue. Besides, the MEC wants process simpler and widening the scope cupation, age and employment data. to promote competitiveness and of potential benefi ciaries. The worker has to attach the neces- prevent monopolistic practices to Previously listed terms like same na- sary documents such as a copy of his at- protect the market, in accordance Sheikha Moza attends tionality, gender and profession are no tested employment contract, a copy of with the Consumer Protection Law, more seen on the ministry’s website the document that proves the “friendly the release added. link where an expatriate worker needs end of contractual relationship” with to apply for a job change, Arabic daily Al the current employer or the document Sharq has reported. that proves abuse of powers by the em- ARAB WORLD | Rights symposium on ICT According to earlier rules, expatriates ployer. Qatar’s call for talks on seeking to change jobs in Qatar could be In the terms and conditions listed Syrian civilians hailed QNA ences in establishing and using this ers the glucose level. With type 1 dia- recruited by only those companies that on the ministry’s website, it states that Doha pioneering technique. betes, the body’s immune system mis- have the visa for the same national- “there should be no restrictions against Chairman of the Arab Permanent ICT is a cell replacement therapy takenly destroys the beta cells which ity, gender and profession as that of the the new employer that would stop the Committee on Human Rights Dr that involves isolating islet cells (tiny cause the pancreas to lose the ability candidate. change”. Amjad Shammout has praised Qatar’s H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, clusters of diff erent types of cells) to make insulin. The special clause that said expatri- Other standard conditions for the call to hold emergency meetings for Chairperson of Qatar Founda- from a donor pancreas and transfer- “During Islet Cell Transplantation, ates above 60 years are not eligible is successful transfer include the worker international and regional human Htion for Education, Science and ring them into the liver of an insulin- the job of the donor islet cells is to also not there on the revised link. Ear- giving his current employer a notice rights bodies – including the UN Community Development (QF), at- dependent recipient. produce insulin to help the transplant lier, the ministry had stressed that the period of 30 days in case of fi xed-term Human Rights Council, the Arab tended yesterday a symposium on Islet Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, recipient regain control of their blood age of the person looking for a new em- contracts. Permanent Committee on Human Cell Transplantation (ICT) – a ground- HMC’s Chair of Internal Medicine and sugar levels, enabling them to monitor ployer should be less than 60 years. To be eligible in case of open-ended Rights at the Arab League, and the breaking and lifesaving procedure used Director of the Qatar Metabolic Insti- them more eff ectively. This can elimi- Law No. 21 of 2015 on the Entry, Exit contracts, the service period of the em- Council of Europe’s Parliamentary to treat patients with severe type 1 dia- tute, highlighted the potential benefi ts nate or greatly reduce the need for in- and Residency of Foreign Nationals that ployee with his current employer should Assembly – to make critical decisions betes – hosted under the sponsorship of Islet Cell Transplantation to type 1 sulin injections and in some cases can came into force on December 13, 2016, not be less than fi ve years, and the em- on protection of civilians and rapid of Qatar Metabolic Institute. diabetes suff erers. He said: “For a type prevent brain damage or premature makes migrant workers who have com- ployee should serve a notice period of 30 intervention to cope with human Organised by Hamad Medical Cor- 1 diabetic who may not know when death.” pleted the stipulated tenure with their days in case of fi ve years of service and tragedies in Syria. Dr Shammout said poration (HMC) at Qatar National their blood sugar reaches dangerously Prof Abou-Samra added: “Today, current employers eligible for change 60 days in case of more than fi ve years. that the call by Chairman of Qatar’s Convention Centre, the symposium low levels, ICT treatment could make we are fortunate to have had the op- of jobs. The regulations are meant for The Ministry of Labour will study the National Human Rights Committee was also attended by HE the Minister a signifi cant diff erence to that person’s portunity to welcome some of the private-sector jobs in the country. application and take the necessary ac- Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri came at the of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed quality of life.” world’s leading experts in the fi eld of A worker who wants to move to a new tion, based on applicable standards and right time to highlight the suff erance al-Kuwari. Prof Abou-Samra explained: “The Islet Cell Transplantation. My hope is employer, has to notify his current em- regulations. of the Syrian people. The symposium was also attend- pancreas contains islets that produce that we can share and use their knowl- ployer through the link on the ministry’s Those who come across problems or ed by a distinguished group of ICT hormones. Alpha cells raise the glu- edge and insights to increase our un- website. technical issues while trying to change experts from across the globe who cose level in the blood while beta cells derstanding of this groundbreaking Expatriate workers can access the jobs online may contact the technical AMERICA | Blastoff shared their knowledge and experi- make the hormone insulin which low- procedure.” services of “employer change” and support at the Ministry of Adminis- SpaceX launches fi rst “leave the country” through the link trative Development, Labour and So- named Worker Notice e-service on the cial Aff airs: [email protected], rocket since explosion ministry’s website. Applicants can avail phone 40288888. A SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off from California yesterday, returning the company to flight for the Colder conditions forecast for today first time since a fiery launchpad explosion in September. The launch oday may be one of the coldest eas of the country, the Met offi ce said. in the day, with a possible change in Abbas warns over US embassy move of the rocket from Vandenberg Air days of the current winter sea- Doha and the western parts too will its direction from southwesterly to Force Base at 9:54am PST (1754 GMT) Tson with the mercury forecast be colder compared to the previous southeasterly by afternoon. alestinian President Mahmoud anything which legitimised the “illegal aimed to deliver 10 satellites into to drop to 10C in some parts of the days. Doha is expected to witness a The minimum and maximum tem- Abbas warned yesterday that Israeli annexation” of Jerusalem would orbit for Iridium Communications country. minimum temperature of 14C. peratures in Qatar will be as follows: Pmoving the US embassy in Israel “bury the hopes for a two-state solu- Inc. SpaceX’s founder and Cold conditions, accompanied by Dusty and cloudy conditions are Mesaieed and Wakrah 10 and 21C, to Jerusalem would deal a huge blow tion, and fuel extremism in our region”. entrepreneur Elon Musk’s ambitious strong winds, will be felt mostly dur- also on the cards. Winds of about 25 Doha 14 and 22, Al Khor 10 and 21, Ru- to hopes for Middle East peace. Com- The Palestinian leader held a private flight plans had been grounded since ing the pre-noon hours. The coldest knots are expected to lash the off shore wais 10 and 21, Dukhan 15 and 19 and menting as he opened a Palestinian em- meeting with Pope Francis before open- the Sept. 1 explosion. will be the southern and northern ar- areas but may fall to 5 to 15 knots later Abu Samra 14 and 20 degrees. bassy at the Vatican, Abbas added that ing the diplomatic mission. Page 6 Sheikha Hind meets education innovators in the US

E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad tre for innovation excellence.” al-Thani, vice-chairperson Sheikha Hind also visited a number Hand CEO of Qatar Foundation of innovative educational, philan- (QF), and chairperson of the Board thropic and research organisations of Trustees of Hamad bin Khalifa and centres, including Google Jigsaw, University, met senior officials from Spark!Lab, and the Institute of Play, QF’s partner universities during a where she connected with like-mind- five-day visit to the United States ed entities to QF in a bid to encourage recently. knowledge sharing and promote inter- The visit, which took place last week, cultural exchange. served as an opportunity to strengthen She said: “At QF, we believe innova- international ties in education to help tion in education is vital for success in continue building a diversifi ed and sus- an ever-evolving world. We therefore tainable economy in Qatar. continuously strive to reimagine the The tour included meetings with academic landscape in Qatar in order Cornell University, Texas A&M Univer- to build creative educational strategies sity, Virginia Commonwealth Universi- that will equip today’s young men and ty, Northwestern University, Carnegie women with the skills, knowledge, and Mellon University, Georgetown Univer- tools to help them face the challenges of sity, HEC Paris, and University College tomorrow.” London. She also visited Qatar Foundation Sheikha Hind said: “At Qatar Foun- HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Right: HE Sheikha Hind attending the Presidents Council in Washington DC. International’s (QFI) fl agship Arabic dation everything starts with educa- language programme at Washington tion, it’s how we began. We’re commit- In 2008, QF celebrated its fi rst con- Qatar’s sustainable development. Hind said: “Through our partnership ity to Qatar. We’re currently witness- Latin Public Charter School. QFI, a ted to the concept of lifelong learning, vocation, and in 2016, its cohort of Highlighting the importance of model with international universi- ing impressive outcomes as a result of US-based member of QF, is dedicated and to providing an ecosystem where graduates included 650 students, with QF’s multidisciplinary learning en- ties, we have brought top-ranking the eff orts exerted by our students and to Arabic language and culture educa- education can impact the life of every a large number of alumni now pursuing vironment in producing graduates programmes and specialisations to graduates, which are helping to trans- tion for students and teachers across person.” rewarding careers and contributing to who serve the needs of Qatar, Sheikha Education City in the areas of prior- form Qatar into an international cen- the world. Gulf Times 2 Sunday, January 15, 2017 QATAR Sheikha Moza meets UNGA chief Security Council reform meeting starts in Doha

QNA Doha

two-day meeting on United Nations Security ACouncil (UNSC) reform got under way yesterday in Doha in the presence of HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and HE the State Minister for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Mu- HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addressing the opening session of a raikhi. two-day meeting on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform in Doha yesterday. Some 30 member-states are participating in the meeting, HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser yesterday met Peter Thomson, President of the 71st session of the along with the President of the United Nations General Assembly. They discussed the importance of providing quality education 71st UN General Assembly Peter for refugees, as well as implementing legislation aimed at preventing attacks on schools in Thomson and the Co-Chairmen conflict-aff ected areas. Sheikha Moza was appointed as an Advocate for the UN Sustainable of the Inter-Governmental Ne- Development Goals in 2016 by UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker / HHOPL gotiation on Security Council Reform ambassador Mohamed Khaled Khiari of Tunisia and ambassador Ion Jinga of Roma- nia. 902 environment During the opening session, In brief HE the Foreign Minister stressed violations reported that the most important chal- lenges to the world order are the The Environment Operations stability of international com- Centre at the Ministry of munity and safety of its people. Emir condoles with Saudi king Municipality of Environment The Foreign Minister pointed received 981 environmental out that the UNSC’s failure in HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir notification reports last year. carrying out its responsibili- Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and These included 902 ties underscores the importance Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani have environmental violations, 67 of reform of the Council, which sent cables to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman local environmental incidents was formed decades ago under a bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia condoling the death of Prince and 12 regional environmental diff erent international circum- HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met the President of the 71st General Mohamed bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. incidents. stance. Assembly of the United Nations Peter Thomson, on the sidelines of the meeting on the reform of the The Environment Operations The UNSC now is not able to Security Council, currently under way in Doha. They discussed the objectives of the meeting and ways to Envoy presents credentials Department conducted a field keep up with the developments realise them. They praised the United Nations’ role in keeping international peace and security. survey for the MME buildings that have occurred in the struc- to make sure of the safety and ture and interactions of the in- interest of the member-states tation and effi ciency in perform- and political and economic in- Director-General of the United Nations Off ice at Geneva Michael Moller security standards. ternational system over the past and the United Nations system. ance. tegration of young people, and has met Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Further, the department decades, he explained. The Foreign Minister pointed He stressed that Qatar sees addressing issues of inequality, Off ice in Geneva and other International Organisations in Switzerland, formed evacuation teams at all He added that Qatar’s host- out that the UNSC reform can peace more comprehensively human rights violations, injus- ambassador Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri in Geneva yesterday. Ambassador municipalities. It also took part ing this meeting stems from its only be realised by bringing than just the absence of vio- tice and exclusion. Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri presented his credentials on the occasion. in the committees that receive role as an active member in the greater transparency to the work lence, adding that peace is to ad- The Foreign Minister stressed They reviewed ways of promoting co-operation between Qatar and the MME’s new buildings to check the international community and of the Council and increasing its dress all aspects of development, the importance of understand- United Nations off ice in Geneva. Moller praised Qatar’s role within the safety and security conditions the broad agreement among members according to standards strengthening institutions, ing and fl exibility in opinions on framework of the international organisations and the United Nations, and other related technical the members that the Security and regulations which would education and opening oppor- the reform of the Security Coun- particularly in the promotion and protection of human rights. issues. Council reform is the collective create a fair balance in represen- tunities for economic recovery cil. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 3 QATAR

Opec honours al-Sada

The Conference of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has honoured HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, the former president of the conference, marking the end of Qatar’s presidency of the organisation through 2016. This came during a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi, in recognition of the outstanding role played by Dr al-Sada during Qatar’s presidency of the conference of Opec, which resulted in the historic agreement reached by the member-states on reducing oil production. On the occasion, Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid al-Falih, the new president of the Conference of Opec, presented a commemorative gift to HE Dr al-Sada. Al-Falih praised the eff orts of HE al-Sada during his presidency of the organisation during a period marked by challenges. QU Foundation Programme to hold international conference

atar University aims to tar, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, students”, “Producing tasks Foundation Pro- bring to- Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, for the classroom”, “Test Qgramme (QU-FP) gether and the UK. items: Learning objectives will organise the 2nd annual language Keynote speakers in- and specifi cations” and International Conference practi- clude Peter Grundy who “Promoting learner confi - and Exhibition on English tioners will give a plenary session, dence in the language class- Language Teaching on Jan- and ex- Dr Maha and a featured speaker, Dr room.’’ uary 18 and 19 in collabora- perts to al-Hendawi Sufi an Abu-Rmaileh. They Dr Maha al-Hendawi, tion with Qatar Ministry of network will address issues related director, QU Foundation Education and Higher Edu- and share their research to “Meaningful face-to- Programme and Core Cur- cation and Teachers of Eng- and teaching experiences face communication” and riculum said, “The confer- lish as a Foreign Language- on a wide range of topics on “Critical thinking class- ence provides an invaluable Qatar Association. English language teaching room experience” respec- opportunity for practition- Themed “Promoting In- and learning. tively. ers and experts in the region novation in English Lan- Speakers and presenters The programme agenda to interact and share their guage Teaching and Learn- at the conference include will include sessions to ad- ideas on the current trends ing: The Future Landscape,” researchers, practition- dress topics such as “Five in English language teach- the two-day conference ers and scholars from Qa- websites to engage your ing and learning.” Gulf Times 4 Sunday, Januray 15, 2017 QATAR

Qatar Airways Travel Festival off er QA Premium Lounge ends tomorrow

atar Airways’ world- number of exciting prizes to travellers still have be won for those travellers Qtwo days to take ad- booking online, including vantage of “exceptional” free upgrades to the World’s opens at Paris airport off ers across the airline’s Best Business Class, sil- global network, with the Qa- ver and gold Privilege Club atar Airways Group Chief growing network. This further tar Airways Travel Festival memberships and up to Executive Akbar al-Baker demonstrates our commitment running until midnight on 100,000 Qmiles. Qoffi cially opened the new to France and to showcasing the January 16. Double Qmiles can also be and luxurious Qatar Airways Pre- very best of our product off ering, Travellers booking Qa- earned on fl ights booked by mium Lounge at Paris-Charles de whether in the lounge itself, the tar Airways fl ights still have Privilege Club members. Priz- Gaulle Airport, on Thursday. modern aircraft that we fl y on our the opportunity to enjoy up es to be availed within Hamad At an offi cial ribbon cutting triple daily service to Paris, or our to 40% off and redeem dis- International Airport, Qatar ceremony held within the lounge further expansion with the an- counts on people travelling Airways’ hub include access itself, al- Baker welcomed guests nouncement that Qatar Airways together, special companion to the Al Maha Lounge, Qatar including Abdullah al-Subaey, will operate direct fl ights to Nice fares and kids fl y free off er to Duty Free retail vouchers and chairman, Qatar Civil Aviation from July 4 this year.” more than 150 destinations. spa vouchers to be used in The Authority, alongside Frank Gol- At more than 1,000sq m, the World-travellers are en- Airport Hotel. danel, director, Aéroports de Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at couraged to visit any Qatar Qatar Airways Holidays Paris, before hosting a luncheon in Paris-Charles de Gaulle off ers Qa- Airways sales offi ce, their is also providing “fantastic” the lounge’s luxury brasserie. tar Airways fi rst and business class preferred travel agent or qa- deals on hotels and accom- Al-Baker also used the occasion passengers a sophisticated, mod- tarairways.com/travelfestival modation across a number of to update attending media on the ern and spacious environment in New for the 2017 Qatar the airline’s 150 destinations. airline’s forthcoming launch of which to relax and commence their Airways Travel Festival are Qatar Airways chief com- direct fl ights to Nice, commenc- fi ve star journey experience. exclusive partnerships with mercial offi cer Dr Hugh ing July 4. The airline will operate The Premium Lounge features AccorHotels and Visa. Dunleavy said: “The Qatar fi ve-weekly services from Doha. all of the qualities of a premium Travellers who book with Airways Travel Festival is Furthermore, it was announced product from the airline, includ- AccorHotels via the Qatar still running and travellers that the route will be served by the ing both a brasserie and deli, two Airways website will receive should hurry to take advan- airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing roof terraces from where passen- exclusive off ers on accom- tage of extraordinary deals 787 Dreamliner. gers can see far-reaching views modation. across our global network. On the airline’s latest Premium of Paris and the Eiff el Tower, both Visa card holders avail The ‘Travel Festival’ is de- Lounge opening, al-Baker said, “I male and female prayer rooms, a further 15% off fl ight signed to inspire our trav- am delighted to be here today to MAC computers, shower facili- discounts at the time of ellers to go places together offi cially open the Qatar Airways ties, Wi-Fi and zoned seating for booking. with their nearest and dear- Premium Lounge at Paris-Charles more than 200 guests, all of which With more than 500 est, and we’ve packaged de Gaulle Airport, the third such contribute to a warm and relaxing Al-Baker opens the new and luxurious Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in the prizes available throughout the festival to cater for lounge of its type within our atmosphere. presence of al-Subaey. the festival there are still a everyone.” Mathematicians brainstorm Ezdan completes renovation at Tamuq workshop athematicians from ond in a workshop series recent PhDs and graduate at three residential buildings around the world that started in January students from Brazil, Eu- Mwere hosted by the 2015, said organiser Dr rope, Japan, GCC and the Texas A&M University at Nordine Mir, professor of United States to promote zdan Real Estate Company, brant areas of Doha downtown, Qatar (Tamuq) for the inter- mathematics in the science the exchange of ideas and one of Ezdan Holding Group’s such as the Museum of Islamic Art, national workshop, ‘Analy- programme at Tamuq. interactions among these Esubsidiaries, has announced restaurants, shops, and hotels. sis and Geometry in Several “These events are a great researchers. the completion of comprehensive In addition, the buildings of- Complex Variables II’. opportunity to lay the The conference was or- renovation operations on three resi- fer an array of facilities and serv- The meeting focused on groundwork for interna- ganised by Dr Mir, Dr S Ber- dential buildings in Ras Abu Aboud ices, which include 24/7 security, recent results and develop- tional collaborations,” Dr hanu of Temple University area. maintenance, and parking space. ments in the analysis and Mir said. “The workshop (US), and Dr Emil Straube of According to Ezdan, the buildings Ezdan Real Estate said the com- geometry of several complex series also helps in building Texas A&M University, US. are on the market for lease at com- pany was keen to implement an on- variables, CR manifolds and exposure for the Qatar re- The event was sponsored by petitive prices, and come within going facelift process in its facilities closely-related areas, such search enterprise and there- Tamuq, The College of Sci- the framework of developing the to raise quality standards and off er as the theory of over-deter- fore contributes to Qatar ence and the Department company’s residential facilities plan high-end services to its tenants. mined systems of partial dif- National Research Strategy.” of Mathematics at Texas launched during the last quarter of The company also launched a se- ferential equations. The workshop brought A&M University and Qatar 2015 with the aim to enhance and ries of developmental procedures in The event was the sec- together leading experts, Petrochemical Co. promote its services in Doha, Al 2016 for its contracting and leas- Wakrah and Al Wukair. ing processes through Sakin centre, Each apartment has its own two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully-equipped The three residential build- which facilitates the leasing pro- kitchen, living room, dining area, and one or two balconies. ings comprise 56 apartments, each cedures for customers wishing to comes with its own two bedrooms, take advantage of Ezdan Real Estate The revamp, announced last year year to achieve the company’s mis- two bathrooms, a fully-equipped residential units. by Ezdan Real Estate, included the sion based on providing the best tar- kitchen, living room, dining area, The centre provides all leasing, renewal of furniture in a number of geted real estate services in line with and one or two balconies. maintenance, utility, customer care, residential units across 12 villages in the latest international standards The buildings enjoy a privileged and payment services through two Al Wakrah and Al Wukair. at competitive prices, contribute to location overlooking the Corniche unifi ed venues (Sakin Doha and Ezdan seeks to complete the re- the renaissance of the state of Qatar, and are in close proximity to vi- Sakin Al Wakrah). maining stages of the project this and support the local economy.

Participants at the workshop pose for a group photo. Qatar Charity implements Man jailed for theft development projects in Tchad worth QR5mn Doha criminal ter the country with some t least 5,000 people QC drilled a solar-pow- with stalls, sheep, motor- court has sentenced of the stolen jewellery. have benefi ted from ered artesian well equipped cycles, sewing machines Aa man to seven years Investigation revealed that AQatar Charity’s (QC) with water distribution to improve their life in jail for breaking into a the defendant broke into the humanitarian and develop- network to provide villag- conditions. house and stealing jewel- house of the victim at night ment projects in Tchad, Af- ers with potable drink- The Secretary of the lery and luxury watches and managed to break open rica, with the help of Qatari ing water, as well as “time Ministry of Health thanked worth around QR5mn. In- safe and escaped with jewellery philanthropists. and labour-saving milling the Qatari people for their vestigation proved that the and luxury watches. Some of these projects machines.” generous donations and QC defendant was previously The victim fi led a case include a dispensary, drill- QC also provided the vil- for its eff orts. convicted. against the defendant ing artesian wells and pro- lagers with three electric “We are prepared to co- Local Arabic daily Ar- demanding a compensa- viding grain-milling ma- irrigation pumps, which operate with QC in pro- rayah reported that the de- tion of QR10mn for the chines, irrigation pumps, will be used for their crops viding the dispensary with fendant was arrested at the damage he suff ered due and other income-generat- and to take advantage of the medical staff ,” he added. airport while trying to en- to the theft. ing projects in Omdurman lands near the Chari River. Khalid Huda, director of village. The project helped the vil- QC offi ce in Tchad, said they QC also established a lage to move towards self- were able to reduce the prev- dispensary equipped with suffi ciency in food. alence of water-borne dis- the latest medical equip- Income-generating eases, as well as foster self- ment to provide medical projects provided wid- suffi ciency and marketing services for the villagers. ows and orphans’ families their products.

A grain-milling machine installed by QC. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 5 QATAR Turkish Hospital all set to open in New Salata

By Ramesh Mathew Staff Reporter

atar-based Taleb Group has joined Qhands with Turkey’s Ruzgar Group to deliver medical services of inter- national standards in the country through the es- tablishment of The Turk- ish Hospital in Doha’s New Salata. The 100-bedded hospital, which is manned by medical professionals mainly from Turkey, will start function- ing on January 17 with a soft opening. While announcing this, Managing Director of Taleb Taleb Group Managing Director Mohamed Taleb al-Khauri (right) and Ruzgar Group Group Mohamed Taleb al- Managing Director Dr Volkan Uygunucarlar explaining the features of Turkish Hospital on Khauri and Ruzgar Group Thursday. Managing Director Dr Vol- kan Uygunucarlar said they mology, diagnostics, cardio were looking forward to vascular, ENT, urology, an- delivering world standards aesthesiology units. in healthcare through the The internal departments Turkish Hospital, where are paediatrics, internal they said a host of medical medicine, dermatology and services would be available hair transplant, pulmonol- to the visitors. ogy, radiology, neurology, The hospital is backed by gastroenterology, physical a team of nearly 40 doctors, therapy and rehabilitative mainly Turkish and other care and micro biology. professionals of diff erent Stressing that their nationalities. Besides emer- mission was to bring the gency, casualty, diagnosis highest levels of medical and treatment units, the standards to the country’s hospital also hosts several people, Dr Uygunucarlar An external view of The Turkish Hospital, near Al Andalus other departments. said the hospital would ca- Signals, New Salata on the C-Ring Road. Apart from fi ve operation ter to the requirements of PICTURES: T K Nasar theatres, the centre also has not only the residents from a 5-bed ICU and facilities this country but also visi- Taleb al-Khauri said their select automobiles, educa- for angiography, diagnos- tors from the neighbouring group, which is in the 62nd tion, management, hospi- tics, laboratories and phar- Gulf states. year of operations in Qatar, tality management, hotels macy among others. While promising to pro- has remarkably good stakes and medical management. The surgical department vide high quality care in a in such areas as real estate, Later, the hospital of- consists of orthopaedics responsive way, Dr Uygu- construction, manufac- fi cials said they are nego- and traumatology, neuro nucarlar hoped the hospi- ture of building materials, tiating with some of the surgery, obstetrics and gy- tal’s medical professionals distribution of top level major insurance fi rms on naecology, general surgery, would be able to deliver the international construc- the possibility of introduc- plastic, reconstructive and best possible services to the tion machinery and heavy ing medical insurance to the aesthetic surgery, ophthal- visitors. equipment, distribution of patients. Gulf Times 6 Sunday, January 15, 2017 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Protest over fears for three on death row Hundreds of protesters took to 26 killed as Yemeni forces the streets of the Bahraini capital Manama yesterday over reports on social media that the authori- push rebels back near strait ties may be preparing to execute Abbas warns three people convicted of a deadly 2014 bomb attack. Executions are AFP a hospital in rebel-held Hodeida, a rare in Bahrain, a Western allied Aden medical official said, adding that the kingdom. The authorities have facility received 23 others wounded. been cracking down on dissent. He said the casualties were from The last execution was carried t least 26 Yemeni fighters died clashes on Friday night in Dhubab. out in 2008. Calls for the protests in fresh clashes and an air An overnight air strike by a pro- over Trump’s were issued on social media after Astrike as government forces government coalition on a rebel as- the families of the three young advanced against Houthi rebels near sembly in Zaydiya, in Hodeida prov- men — Abbas al-Samea, Sami a key shipping strait, medics and of- ince, left another nine Houthis dead, Mushaima and Ali al-Singace — ficials said yesterday. a security official said. said they had been summoned A week-long assault by govern- The Red Sea port city of Hodeida to visit their loved ones at Jau ment forces and their allies aims to lies some 200 kilometres north of prison. The men, who were con- expel the Houthis from Dhubab re- Dhubab. plan for embassy victed in 2015 of a bomb attack gion, close to the Bab al-Mandab A medical official at a hospital in that killed three police off icers strait linking the Red Sea and Indian the southern city of Aden said five AFP — two Bahrainis and an Emirati — Ocean. pro-government fighters were killed Vatican City had maintained their innocence. Twelve bodies of Houthi insur- in overnight clashes around Dhubab gents were taken early yesterday to and 14 others wounded. alestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned yesterday that Pmoving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would deal a huge blow to hopes for Middle East peace. Commenting as he opened a Pales- tinian embassy at the Vatican, Abbas added that anything which legitimised the “illegal Israeli annexation” of Je- rusalem would “bury the hopes for a two-state solution, and fuel extremism in our region”. The Palestinian leader held a private meeting with Pope Fran- cis before inaugurating the diplomatic mission, located in a building facing the Vatican that also houses the embassies of Peru and Burkina Faso. Speaking briefl y to reporters, Abbas Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applauds after he inaugurated the new reiterated his opposition to the pos- Palestinian diplomatic mission to the Holy See with Palestinian ambassador Issa sible transfer of the US embassy from Kassissieh (left) in Rome yesterday. Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as President- elect Donald Trump had indicated he the capital of Israel and move the on international law,” he added. might do. American embassy there. Abbas met with Pope Francis for 20 “We cannot say anything yet be- Such a step would be a historic minutes ahead of the embassy opening. cause it has not happened, but if this break with US policy, and with most Among the gifts exchanged, Ab- does happen it will not help the peace of the international community, over bas off ered the pontiff a stone from process. I hope it will not happen,” the status of Jerusalem, also claimed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in said Abbas, speaking in Arabic. by the Palestinians as capital of their Jerusalem, according to Greg Burke, In a separate English-language future state, an issue to be settled by spokesman for the Holy See. statement, he hailed the Vatican’s negotiation. A Vatican statement regarding Isra- hosting of a Palestinian embassy. “Any attempts at legitimising the il- el and the Palestinians added: “Hope “We are very grateful about the role legal Israeli annexation of the city will was expressed that direct negotiations that the Holy See has played for a just destroy the prospects of any political between the parties may be resumed and lasting peace in the Holy Land, and process, bury the hopes for a two-state to bring an end to the violence that for having opened an embassy of Pales- solution, and fuel extremism in our re- causes unacceptable suff ering to civil- tine in the Vatican for fi rst time,” he said. gion, as well as worldwide,” Abbas said. ian populations, and to fi nd a just and But Abbas expressed concern about “In this moment, we extend our lasting solution.” The private audience Trump’s pledge during the election hand to President-elect Trump for was the third meeting between Francis campaign to recognise Jerusalem as his co-operation to make peace based and Abbas. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 7 ARAB WORLD

Sudan says ‘secret’ talks led to US easing sanctions Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim Deadly IS assault on east Ghandour yesterday said “secret” talks between American and Su- danese off icials led to the easing of US sanctions on his country. US President Barack Obama on Friday announced the lifting of some economic sanctions, trying Syria city leaves 30 dead to improve ties with a country whose leader is accused of war AFP Obama’s team.The Astana talks crimes and links to terror. Beirut are scheduled to begin just three “We held 23 meetings in Khar- days after Trump is inaugurat- toum away from the eyes of the ed.The ceasefi re deal appeared media from June 2016 that lasted he Islamic State group increasingly strained yesterday, six months. The meetings were yesterday launched one with outbreaks of violence in concluded on December 31,” Tof its fi ercest assaults yet northwest Syria and near the Ghandour told reporters. on the besieged Syrian city of capital. The head of Sudan’s powerful Deir Ezzor, leaving more than Fresh raids yesterday in the National Intelligence and Security 30 regime fi ghters and militants town of Maarat Masrin in the Service (NISS), Mohamed Atta al- dead. northwest province of Idlib Mawla, told reporters he had met The brutal attack — on a day killed eight people, most of them the CIA chief “twice since October that saw many outbreaks of civilians, the Observatory said. 2015”. Sudan, he said, “has been co- violence across Syria — came A day earlier, three civil- operating and co-ordinating with as the political opposition said ians — including a child — were the US since before 2000 in the it “supported” upcoming peace killed in strikes on the nearby struggle against terrorism,” he said. talks in the Kazakh capital As- town of Orum al-Joz, Abdel Mawla did not elaborate but said tana. Rahman said. he had received “technical assist- The negotiations will attempt Idlib province is controlled by ance” from the US. to bring an end to the nearly six- a rebel alliance led by Fateh al- The US decision to ease sanc- year war by building on a fragile Sham Front, which changed its tions will allow Sudan to boost truce agreement. name from Al Nusra Front after trade and “opens the way for But IS is excluded from the breaking ties with Al Qaeda last us to use all sorts of currency, deal, brokered by rebel backer year.Like IS, Fateh al-Sham is specially the US dollar”, for trade Turkey and regime ally Russia. excluded from the truce deal. transactions, according to Unleashing a wave of sui- New clashes also broke out Finance Minister Badreddin Mah- cide attacks, rockets, and tun- yesterday in Wadi Barada — the mud. Sudan has been subject nel bombs, IS killed at least 12 main source of water for Da- to a US trade embargo since government forces and two ci- mascus. 1997 for its alleged support for vilians in Deir Ezzor yesterday, Water supplies from the area radical groups. Al Qaeda leader according to the Syrian Observ- to around 5.5mn people in the Osama bin Laden was based in atory for Human Rights. capital and its outskirts have Khartoum from 1992 to 1996. The British-based monitor- been cut since December 22 be- The Khartoum government’s ing group said 20 militants were cause of fi ghting. scorched earth tactics against killed in fi erce air raids by Syrian Rebel fighters ride an armoured vehicle on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of Al-Bab yesterday. Rebels and government ethnic minority rebels in the Darfur and allied warplanes on the city, troops had reached a local region have also been cited as where around 200,000 people government lines,” a Syrian have been killed and over half support to an anti-regime mili- talks” in Geneva in early Febru- agreement Friday so that water a reason not to lift the sanctions have lived under IS siege since military source said, using the the population has been forced tary delegation attending those ary, hosted by the United Na- access could be restored, but According to the United Nations, early 2015. Arabic acronym for IS. to fl ee. negotiations. tions. Offi cial invitations have the Observatory reported a re- 300,000 people have been killed IS has sought to overrun the He said militants had aimed Diplomatic eff orts to end the “Concerning the forthcom- yet to be issued for the Astana sumption of violence yesterday. and 2.5mn were displaced since entire city, including the key to cut the route between the confl ict have thus far failed, but ing meeting in Astana, the talks, but Turkey’s foreign min- “Regime forces and (Leba- that conflict began in 2003. Hu- nearby military airport. airport and the city, but that the Moscow and Ankara are hoping (High Negotiations) Committee ister has said Washington will nese movement) Hezbollah vio- man Rights Watch has expressed Observatory head Rami Abdel government’s counter-attack that the peace talks in Astana stresses its support to the mili- be asked to attend. lated the agreement” by batter- concern over Obama’s decision. Rahman said yesterday’s attack had stopped IS. later this month will lead to a tary delegation... and expresses The Washington Post re- ing a town in Wadi Barada with “The Obama administration’s was the “most violent” assault Syria has been ravaged by vio- political solution. hope that the meeting would ported late Friday that Russia rocket fi re, Abdel Rahman said. decision to ‘ease’ sanctions is mounted by IS on the city in lence since widespread protests After a two-day meeting in reinforce the truce,” the HNC had invited US President-elect “They took advantage of the inexplicable,” said Leslie Lefkow more than a year. in March 2011 calling for Presi- Riyadh, the High Negotiations said. Donald Trump’s incoming ad- halt in military activities there of New York-based Human “Daesh is amassing its forces dent Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Committee leading opposition It said the meeting in Astana ministration to the meeting, to advance and fl ex their mus- Rights Watch. to attack Deir Ezzor and breach More than 310,000 people body said it would extend its “paves the way for political bypassing President Barack cles,” he said. Gulf Times 8 Sunday, January 15, 2017 ARAB WORLD Tunisia hit by riots on Iraqi forces capture revolt’s areas along Tigris Reuters coalition air support, Moham- Mosul/Baghdad edawi said. anniversary A separate military statement said the federal police in the area Reuters ruption and abuses, hundreds raqi special forces drove also captured a highway linking Tunis demonstrated in front of the back Islamic State militants Mosul to the city of Kirkuk, to local governorate, making the Iin the strategic Mosul Uni- the southeast. same demands as six years ago. versity campus yesterday while Improved co-ordination undreds of protesters “We raised the same slogans elite police units took over large between diff erent military demanding jobs clashed as 2011...work is our right...no areas along the Tigris river, mil- branches, plus new tactics and Hwith police in sev- fear, and the street belongs to the itary offi cials said. better defences against the car eral Tunisian towns yesterday, people,” Attia Athmouni, a local The head of Iraq’s Counter bombs has helped them gain blocking the route of visiting resident told Reuters. Terrorism Service (CTS) said new momentum against Islamic President Beji Caid Essebsi in In Meknassi, police arrested security forces were close to re- State in Mosul since the turn of one region, on the sixth anni- some protesters late on Friday. capturing the entire east bank of the year, US and Iraqi military versary of the country’s revolu- But the protests continued in the Tigris, which bisects Mosul offi cials say. tion. Meknassi and Manzel Bouziane from north to south, a gain that Lieutenant General Talib Local residents said protests yesterday. will bring at least half of Islamic Shaghati told state television that erupted in the southern The presidency said that Es- State’s last major stronghold in the entire eastern bank of the town of Ben Guerdane had sebsi announced development Iraq under their control. Tigris would soon be under Ira- spread over the weekend to projects which will provide more Iraqi forces made rapid ad- qi control. several other areas such as Sidi job opportunities in Gafsa, the vances the day before in a nearly “Hopefully today we will Bouzid, Meknassi and Gafsa, heart of the country’s state-run three-month US-backed off en- celebrate the end of Daesh,” he where Essebsi visited to mark phosphate business, whose ex- sive to recapture Mosul, loss of added. the 2011 uprising that ousted ports have also been disrupted which would probably spell the Advances had slowed in late autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben by protests over jobs. end of the Iraqi side of the ul- Iraqi Federal Police inspect a hospital used by Islamic State militants during a battle with the militants November and December as Ali. After a day of calm following a tra-hardline group’s self-styled in the district of Yarimja in southern Mosul yesterday. troops became bogged down in Six years after that revolt, visit by a delegation of ministers caliphate, declared in 2014. tough urban warfare after en- Tunisia is hailed as a model to Ben Guerdane, near the Lib- Capture of the eastern bank partments,” Lieutenant Gen- als used for scientifi c research put Iraq’s federal police in con- tering the city itself, and Islamic of democratic transition, but yan border, protesters clashed of the river will allow the mili- eral Abdelwahab al-Saadi of the from the university when they trol of large areas along the river State fought from densely-pop- rural central and southern re- again yesterday with police, lo- tary to begin attacks on western CTS told a Reuters reporter in overran Mosul and vast areas of bank, a spokesman said. ulated residential areas. gions remain flashpoints for cal residents said. Mosul, which Islamic State still the complex. northern Iraq and eastern Syria “The Yarimja area...has been An air raid targeting a sen- rioting in marginalised towns The North African country fully holds. “In the coming hours it will in 2014. liberated, a large number of ior Islamic State militant on where many young Tunisians emerged as a symbol of peace- The militants have fought be liberated completely,” he Islamic State fi ghters have Daesh (Islamic State) elements Thursday killed up to 30 peo- see little economic opportunity ful democratic change with free back fi ercely with car bombs said. used chemical agents includ- were killed, and the rest fl ed to ple in a western Mosul district, or progress. elections, a new constitution and snipers, and have used ci- CTS troops had gathered in ing mustard gas in a number the right-hand side (western residents said.It was not im- In Gafsa, angry youths pro- and compromise between hard- vilians as cover. the university canteen. of attacks in Iraq and Syria, US bank),” Lieutenant Colonel Ab- mediately clear if the strike was tested against Essebsi’s visit, liners and secular rivals. An air raid during the week As they unfurled a map of the offi cials, rights groups and resi- del Amir al-Mohamedawi told carried out by Iraqi forces or the throwing stones and blocking But economic progress, a cen- targeting a senior IS militant area, a suspected Islamic State dents say. Reuters. US-led coalition. the road. tral demand of many Tunisians, killed up to 30 people, residents drone fl ew overhead and they Seizing the university would Forces had stopped suicide Iraq Body Count (IBC), a Local media and residents has failed to match the country’s said late on Friday. shot at it. be a crucial strategic gain and car bomb attacks by fi ring at group run by academics and said the president’s convoy was political advances. CTS forces battled IS fi ghters The Iraqi forces also found allow Iraqi forces to advance them during their advance, and peace activists that has been forced to change its route before In rural southern and central at the university on Saturday in chemical substances IS had more quickly towards the Tigris the federal police also captured counting violent deaths in the he left by air. regions, where farming remains a second day of clashes there. used to try to make weapons, in the city’s northeast, military a fi eld hospital the militants had country since 2003, said 21 to 25 In Sidi Bouzid, the cradle of one of the few sources of in- “There are still clashes. We CTS commander Sami al-Ari- offi cials have said. been using, he said. civilians had died that day in a the Tunisian revolution sparked come, tensions often fl are over entered the university and dhi said. Parallel advances in the The federal police forces were strike on that area. by the death of a street vendor the lack of jobs and economic cleared the technical institute, The United Nations says the southeast of the city yesterday, backed by the Iraqi army’s 9th Reuters could not independ- protesting against offi cial cor- opportunities. dentistry and antiquities de- militants seized nuclear materi- led by elite rapid response units, armoured division and by US ently verify the reports. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 9 AFRICA

I Coast govt, rebel troops Mali summit reach deal

AFP Abidjan to focus on vory Coast’s government and rebel troops have reached a Ifi nal deal at talks in Bouake, government sources said late Friday at the close of a tense day which saw outbreaks of gunfi re Gambia crisis at barracks across the country. Soldiers in Bouake mutinied AFP month’s polls, which he had ini- any (Malian) territory, democ- earlier this month, fi ring rocket- Bamako tially conceded. racy has returned and elections launchers and terrifying resi- The ruling is unlikely to hap- have taken place”, but Mali re- dents of Ivory Coast’s second pen before May. mains one of the world’s most largest city, while demanding ambian president-elect There are just four days left of fragile states. bonuses, better pay and housing. Adama Barrow readied to Jammeh’s fi ve-year term, but he In a bid to help crush the mili- The protests then spread to Gmeet world leaders yes- warned the international com- tant threat, France has trained other cities, including the eco- terday at a summit jointly hosted munity on Tuesday that “undue more than 20,000 African soldiers nomic capital Abidjan, stoking by France in Mali as the interna- external interference” was un- every year since 2013, according to security fears in the world’s top tional community strives for an necessary. a French diplomatic source. cocoa producer. end to Gambia’s political crisis. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head By 2020, the number of The mutiny saw President Barrow fl ew to Bamako unex- of the UN Offi ce for West Africa French-trained troops is expect- Alassane Ouattara order major pectedly after holding crisis talks and the Sahel, said on Friday that ed to reach 25,000 a year. changes in the top security ranks in Banjul with Nigerian President ECOWAS would ask the Security The training drive aims to - the armed forces’ chief of staff , Muhammadu Buhari, Liberian Council to approve the deploy- minimise the need for direct the senior commander of the leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and ment of troops to Gambia if Jam- military interventions in African national gendarmerie and the Ghana’s John Mahama. meh refuses to cede power. confl icts, such as those launched director-general of the police. The delegation of west Afri- Heads of state from at least in Mali and the Central African “A deal has been reached in can heavyweights also met with 30 nations were in attendance Republic in 2013. Bouake between the chief of Gambian President Yahya Jam- at the summit in Bamako to also However, the situation in key staff , the defence minister and meh, who is refusing to cede discuss the fi ght against terror- nations such as Mali remains far the (rebel) troops,” a source close power after disputing the result ism, governance challenges and from stable, where France’s con- to the presidency said. of a December 1 election that Africa’s role in the European mi- tinued military presence is not Several rebel soldiers con- Barrow won. grant crisis. universally welcome. fi rmed that a deal had been In a sign of Barrow’s grow- Many of the nations attending Overshadowing the summit struck, with one telling AFP: ing international clout, a French the gathering were once colonies was an admission by the French “We are pleased, we’ve reached diplomatic source said that of France, which in recent years defence ministry on Friday that an agreement”. President Francois Hollande “in- has boosted its military involve- French soldiers deployed to “The troops have agreed to tends to meet” Barrow, while the ment on the continent. northern Mali had killed a child return to their barracks, and for former businessman was due to Also present are Zimbabwean militant during a counter-terror this reason gunfi re has halted in sit down with west African lead- President Robert Mugabe and operation in November. Bouake,” a local offi cial said. ers to discuss his nation’s future. Rwandan leader Paul Kagame, According to the French-lan- He said the mutineers had The Economic Community Of who have a particularly tense re- guage magazine Jeune Afrique, managed to obtain a bonus of West African States (ECOWAS), lationship with Paris. the victim was buried in secret about €7,500 ($8,000). a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly It was Hollande’s last trip to by the soldiers. While an initial deal had been called on Jammeh to respect the Africa as president before step- Elsewhere, discussions were reached almost a week ago, talks result of the vote and step down ping down, and Malian Presi- expected on the abuse of African on implementing the agreement after 22 years in power. dent Ibrahim Boubacar Keita de- constitutions. only began on Friday and ten- Jammeh has made it clear he scribed him as the “most loyal” In recent years leaders like sions were high with rebel troops will not stand aside until the of French presidents to the con- Kagame have altered their con- taking up positions on the roads Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (centre) and France’s President Francois Hollande pose country’s Supreme Court de- tinent. stitutions to remove term limits, into Bouake and fi ring into the with African leaders for a family picture at the start of the Africa-France summit in Bamako cides on his legal challenge seek- Hollande celebrated the fact to the dismay of democracy ad- air. yesterday. ing to annul the result of last that “terrorists no longer control vocates on the continent. Gulf Times 10 Sunday, January 15, 2017 AMERICAS US envoy warns against cutting funding to UN

AFP leading at the UN,” said Power, from using its veto to block the the UN, it will be other countries people to get together and have a United Nations who is stepping down next week resolution and instead abstained, that step in to fi ll the void”, many good time”. after four years as President allowing the measure to pass by a of which do not share the US After the council voted to de- Barack Obama’s ambassador to vote of 14-0 in the council, trig- view on fi ghting terrorism or ad- mand an end to Israeli settle- S Ambassador Samantha the United Nations. gering a furious response from vancing human rights, she noted. ments in Palestinian territories, Power has warned that “If we were to tie our hands Israel. Power also warned the incom- Trump warned on Twitter: “As Ucutting US funding to the behind our back or strip this or- Much of Power’s parting words ing Trump administration that to the UN, things will be diff erent United Nations would be “ex- ganisation of programming” to were in defence of US engage- it would be “very wise” to pre- after January 20th.” tremely detrimental” to Ameri- support peace mediation or hu- ment at the United Nations, say- serve the Iran nuclear deal that Congressional Democrats and can interests, one week before manitarian work, “this would be ing that while the “UN system is the president-elect has vowed to Republicans alike fumed over the Donald Trump’s administration extremely detrimental to US in- fl awed” with a bloated bureauc- scrap. UN’s reprimand of Israel. takes offi ce. terests”, she said. racy, there is a need for a global The United States is by far the The Republican-led US House Power: We lead the world, in part, by leading at the UN. If we were to Addressing her fi nal news Power spoke after a bill was body to pool common eff orts. UN’s biggest fi nancial contribu- of Representatives voted over- tie our hands behind our back ... this would be extremely detrimental conference, Power told report- introduced in the US Senate that “The United States needs the tor, providing 22% of its operat- whelmingly last week to con- to US interests. ers that “countries like Russia would slash all US funding to the UN. The UN goes to places that ing budget and funding 28% of demn the resolution, noting and China” would benefi t from United Nations until a Security the US will not go,” she said, peacekeeping missions, which that the Obama administration’s The Safeguard Israel Act of threatening to pull billions of Washington’s reduced standing Council resolution demanding pointing to peace missions in currently cost $8bn annually. refusal to use its veto power 2017 – introduced by Senate dollars in funding. at the United Nations if funding an end to Israeli settlements is Mali and South Sudan, where Af- Trump, who will take offi ce “undermined” Washington’s Republicans Ted Cruz and Lind- The Senate bill is unlikely to were withdrawn. repealed. rican troops are taking the lead. on January 20, has dismissed the position of shielding its closest sey Graham – aims to push back garner major support, sources on “We lead the world, in part, by The United States refrained “If there’s less US leadership at United Nations as “just a club for Middle East ally at the UN. against the United Nations by Capitol Hill say.

Woman dies of infection resistant Trump slams to all 26 available antibiotics AFP bacteria resistant to the antibi- siella pneumoniae has been de- Miami otic of last resort, colistin. scribed by the World Health Or- It was unclear how the wom- ganisation as “an urgent threat to an’s infection acquired resist- human health”. US woman has died from ance. According to Nick Thomson, an infection that was re- Experts said she had been leader of the bacterial genomics Asistant to all 26 available treated repeatedly in India dur- and evolution group at the Well- civil rights icon antibiotics, health offi cials said ing the last two years for a femur come Trust Sanger Institute in this week, raising new concerns fracture and hip problems, most England, this bacteria is likely to about the rise of dangerous su- recently in June 2016. become more and more resistant. perbugs. Once the bacteria was identi- “The report highlights inter- The woman, who was in her fi ed in Nevada, the patient was national travel and treatment 70s, died in Nevada in Septem- isolated to prevent the infection overseas as a feature in the in- ber, and had recently been hos- from spreading in the hospital. troduction of this pan-resistant pitaliszed in India with fractured Post-mortem tests showed her isolate into the USA,” he said. over remarks leg bones, the US Centres for infection might have responded “Since we live in such an in- Disease Control and Prevention to a treatment called fosfomy- terconnected society, this is (CDC) reported. cin, which is not approved in the important because this isolate Reuters/AFP Georgia that includes Atlanta The president-elect’s com- The cause of death was sepsis, United States. represents a truly untreatable in- Washington and surrounding areas, was the ments about Lewis came ahead following infection from a rare Paul Hoskisson, a researcher fection” which leaves healthcare most high-profi le Democratic of an anti-Trump march in bacteria known as carbapenem- at the University of Strathclyde, professionals with few options lawmaker to boycott Trump’s Washington headed by the Rev- resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Scotland, said that several Eu- but to seek to prevent further resident-elect Donald inauguration. erend Al Sharpton. (CRE), which is resistant to all ropean countries, including Brit- transmission. Trump began a long holi- At least eight House Demo- The protest by about 2,000 antibiotics available in the Unit- ain, licence fosfomycin for intra- Laura Piddock, a professor of Pday weekend that honours crats have publicly stated they marchers kicked off a week of ed States. venous use in such cases. microbiology at the University of slain black civil rights leader will not be attending Trump’s rallies planned by dozens of The specifi c strain of CRE, “This is important because we Birmingham, said the case shows Martin Luther King Jr by blast- swearing-in at the US Capitol groups against Trump before, known as Klebsiella pneumo- are seeing increasing numbers of that doctors “need the fl exibil- ing another African-American next Friday, with several indi- during and after the inaugura- niae, was isolated from one of her drug-resistant infections, and ity to use antibiotics licensed for activist and politician who said cating their absence will be an tion. wounds in August. this is one of the fi rst cases for use in other countries and shown he doesn’t see Trump as a “le- act of political protest. DisruptJ20, which is work- Tests were negative for the Klebsiella where no drug options to be active in the laboratory gitimate president”. Yesterday Trump tweeted ing with Black Lives Matter and mcr-1 gene – a great concern to were open to the medical staff .” against the patient’s infecting Democratic Representative that Lewis was falsely com- other protest groups, said they health experts because it makes Multi-drug-resistant Kleb- bacterium”. John Lewis, of Georgia, had said plaining about election results are planning to disrupt balls on a segment of Meet the Press and instead “should spend more celebrating the inauguration in released by NBC on Friday that time on fi xing and helping his Washington. he thought hacking by Russians district, which is in horrible Trump won the presidency had helped Trump, a Republi- shape and falling apart (not to with less support from black can, get elected in November. mention crime infested)”. and Hispanic voters than any Trump’s US intelligence organisations “All talk, talk, talk – no ac- Lewis: I believe in forgiveness ... president in the last 40 years, have accused Russia of cyber tion or results. Sad!” Trump I believe in trying to work with only 8% and 28% respectively, attacks on the Democratic Na- tweeted. people. It’s going to be very polling data has showed. transition tional Committee and distrib- Lewis, who has been a civil diff icult. I don’t see this Several of Trump’s fellow Re- uting hacked e-mails from sen- rights leader for more than half president-elect as a legitimate publicans criticised his tweet. ior Clinton aides in an eff ort to a century, was beaten by po- president. Senator Ben Sasse of Ne- has lowest infl uence the US election. lice during a march he helped braska tweeted that “John Lewis Lewis said that he does not lead in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, “I believe in trying to work and his ‘talk’ have changed the plan to attend Trump’s January drawing attention to hurdles for with people,” Lewis said. “It’s world”. rating ever 20 inauguration, the fi rst time blacks to vote. going to be very diffi cult. I don’t Neoconservative critic Bill he’d missed such an event since He protested alongside King see this president-elect as a le- Kristol tweeted: “It’s telling, I’m being elected to the House in that day and on other occasions. gitimate president.” afraid, that Donald Trump treats DPA 1986. “I believe in forgiveness,” Supporters of Trump see (Russian President) Vladimir Washington Lewis, who represents a dis- Lewis said in the segment about him as a brash person who tells Putin with more respect than he Trump: A majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of the trict in the southern state of Trump. things as they are. does John Lewis.” presidential transition. majority of Americans disapprove of Donald ATrump’s handling of his presidential transition, the Gal- lup polling group said on Friday, Black Lady Liberty to grace US coin one week before his inaugura- tion. Fifty-one per cent of re- AFP The new coin will be released on spondents said they disapprove Washington April 6 featuring the bust of a dis- of the way he has managed the tinctly African-American Liberty, transition to the White House, with a crown of gold stars. the lowest for any president- he United States is set to is- Underneath appear the words “In elect since Gallup began asking sue a commemorative $100 God we trust” and the dates 2017 the question in 1992. Tgold coin that depicts Lady and 1792, the year Congress created Forty-four per cent said they Liberty – a national symbol gener- the Mint. approve of Trump’s transition ally portrayed as a white woman – The coin’s fl ip side features an- and 4% said they had no opinion. as an African American for the fi rst other potent US symbol, an eagle in At the same time eight years time. fl ight. ago, 83% said they approved of The 24-karat gold piece will be “Our founding fathers realised Barack Obama’s transition com- released in honour of the United the critical need for our fl edgling pared to 12% who disapproved. States Mint’s 225th anniversary, one nation to have a respected monetary Gallup’s last conducted a sur- of a series of coins that will feature a system, and over the last 225 years, The new $100 gold coin featuring vey on Trump’s transition in racially diverse array of Lady Liber- the Mint has never failed in its mis- an African-American woman as the early December. ties. sion,” said Rhett Jeppson, the Mint’s face of Lady Liberty for the first “Trump’s 48% transition The coins will “depict an allegor- principal deputy director. time in the history of US currency, approval rating in December ical Liberty in a variety of contem- In another move to diversify the is shown in this photo provided on was already the lowest for any porary forms – including designs mostly white male cast of states- Friday. presidential transition Gallup representing Asian-Americans, men featured on American cur- has measured, starting with Bill Hispanic-Americans and Indian- rency, the one-time slave-turned- 600,000 people strongly favoured Clinton’s in 1992-93,” wrote Americans among others”, the Mint abolitionist Harriet Tubman was Tubman, a hero to African Ameri- Gallup’s Lydia Saad. “Trump’s said in a statement released on named as the new face of the $20 cans for her escape from slavery in current rating only further sepa- Thursday. banknote last April, the fi rst time Maryland in 1849 to help run the rates him from his predecessors.” The Mint said it is issuing the an African American was picked to legendary Underground Railroad The survey asked 1,032 adults coins to “refl ect the cultural and feature on US currency. that enabled thousands of slaves to and was conducted between Jan- ethnic diversity of the US.” An open poll of more than fl ee to freedom in the 19th century. uary 4 and 8.

Trudeau grilled about holiday on Aga Khan’s isle

Reuters Trudeau, 45, came to power in foundation, and shows that Trudeau cross-country tour to meet voters. Ottawa November 2015 promising to run an is out of touch with ordinary Cana- The Aga Khan, the wealthy leader open and accountable administra- dians at a time when the economy is of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, tion but has been dogged by repeat- struggling. is a close Trudeau family friend. anadian Prime Minister Jus- ed questions about his luxury Ba- “The travel back and forth from Under ethics rules which Trudeau tin Trudeau, under fi re for hamas vacation over the New Year, (the Bahamian capital) Nassau to the himself introduced in 2015, govern- Cholidaying on a Caribbean which his offi cials fi rst declined to island happens on the Aga Khan’s ment ministers may not take private island owned by the Aga Khan, on talk about. private helicopter, which he off ered fl ights without fi rst getting approval Thursday revealed that he had fl own Opposition legislators say the us the use of ... we don’t see an is- from Mary Dawson, the country’s there by private helicopter – an ap- holiday was inappropriate since sue on that,” he told a news confer- confl ict of interest and ethics com- parent breach of offi cial ethics rules. Ottawa helps fund the Aga Khan’s ence in Kingston, Ontario, during a missioner.

Gulf Times 12 Sunday, January 15, 2017 ASEAN

UN offi cial Style statement probes confl ict zone in Rakhine State

DPA Yangon

N special rapporteur on human rights Yanghee ULee yesterday visited the confl ict zone in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State where the military allegedly has been committing human rights abus- es against the Muslim minority Rohingya for months now. Lee visited the border guard posts, the attacks on which in early October triggered clear- ance operations by the army. She also visited a prison and met with villagers. “We spoke to Rakhine Buddhists as well as Muslim people,” her spokesman Aye Win said. According to the United Na- tions, at least 65,000 people have fl ed Rakhine State across the border to Bangladesh since October. The crisis puts Aung San Suu Kyi’s administration under in- ternational pressure, with rights watchdog Human Rights Watch criticising the government of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for failing to hold the country’s military accountable for the crackdown on Rohingya. Yanghee Lee is scheduled to continue her travels through the confl ict zone today before returning to Yangon later in the week. Models parade during a Japanese theme fashion show by Indonesian students at a shopping mall in Jakarta yesterday, on the eve of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit.

Airport blacklists Thai parliament nod for king’s ‘no meter’ cabbie constitutional changes request

Agencies Reuters turn Thailand to democratic in November, was expected in abstaining. The assembly also 15 months after the constitu- and fundamental freedoms,” Bangkok Bangkok rule following a 2014 coup. early February. Prime Minis- made changes allowing the king tion is endorsed,” Somjet told said Katina Adams, a spokes- The draft constitution was ter Prayuth Chan-ocha said on to travel overseas without hav- Reuters. woman for the department. approved in a referendum last Tuesday the offi ce of King Vaji- ing to appoint a regent to rule in The US State Department The government must fi rst uvarnabhumi airport au- hailand’s military- year and has been awaiting ralongkorn had asked for several his stead. said the United States, a long- make the requested amend- thorities have blacklisted backed parliament voted endorsement by King Maha changes to clauses related to King Vajiralongkorn trav- time ally of Thailand which ments. Sa taxi driver who tried to Toverwhelmingly yester- Vajiralongkorn, who took the royal power in the draft consti- elled frequently while he was scaled back contacts after the The king then has 90 days to charge a lump sum for a trip day to make amendments to throne in December after the tution, a rare intervention by a crown prince and has spent a coup, wanted to see Thailand approve the amended charter, from the airport, after a pas- the constitution as suggested death of his father, King Bhu- sitting Thai monarch. significant amount of his adult “return to inclusive, democratic Somjet said. senger complained the car had by the new king’s offi ce, a move mibol Adulyadej, who com- In order to make those chang- life abroad, mostly in Germa- rule as soon as possible.” “According to the steps, the no meter. likely to delay a general elec- manded immense respect es, the National Legislative As- ny. “We want Thailand to emerge election should happen early to After placing his taxi driver tion scheduled for the end of the from Thais during his 70-year sembly has fi rst to amend the Somjet Boonthanom, a mem- from this transition period as a mid-2018,” he said. ID on a blacklist and prohibit- year. reign. interim constitution. ber of parliament, said it was strong, sustainable, and pros- Both the junta and the Royal ing him from entering the air- The military-backed consti- Promulgation of the char- Of 231 assembly members, likely that elections would now perous democracy that refl ects Household Bureau declined to port, the officials asked the tution is a key part of the junta’s ter, which was forwarded to the 228 voted in favour of the take place next year. and represents the views of all comment on why the changes Land Transport Department plans to hold an election to re- palace for royal endorsement changes on Friday with three “The election will take place Thais and protects human rights were requested by the king. to investigate further and take legal action against the driver, Bangkok Post reported. The move followed a com- plaint on the Pantip.com com- munity website by a user by the name of Mun Thow. After look- Pilot killed after jet crashes during air show ing into the facts, the authori- ties found that a Thai passenger AFP Families were gathered at the airport “One pilot was killed in the acci- able distance away from the crash site. Thailand’s national Children’s Day is had hailed a taxi from the first Bangkok in the southern city of Hat Yai to watch dent this morning,” defence ministry A junta spokesman said the 35-year- celebrated yearly on the second Satur- floor of the passenger terminal the show put on for Thailand’s annual spokesman Major General Kongcheep old pilot was fl ying a Swedish-made day of January. at 2.10pm on Thursday. Children’s Day. Tantravanich said. JAS 39 Gripen jet. The holiday sees military bases The passenger had obtained Thai military air show for chil- Footage of the accident captured The cause of the crash was under in- “The Prime Minister has expressed around the country open up their gates a ticket from the queuing ma- dren was marred by tragedy yes- shrieks from a startled crowd as the jet vestigation, he added. his condolences to (the) pilot, his fam- to let youngsters handle guns and climb chine and was served by a Aterday when a fi ghter jet plunged took a nosedive and crashed near the No one else was harmed in the inci- ily and the Royal Thai Air Force,” said over tanks and warships. Toyota Innova taxi driven and from the sky and burst into fl ames, kill- airport’s runway, releasing fi ery plumes dent, according to an airport offi cial, as Major General Werachon Sukondhap- Many zoos and museums also allow owned by Thinkimo Seesopa. ing the pilot. of smoke. the audience was gathered a consider- atipak. children in for free. Army extends invitation to kids for gun play

Reuters of a jet fi ghter in which the pilot Bangkok was killed. Nobody else was hurt and the crowd was far away. At barracks across Thailand, hailand’s army opened up children get to play with every- some of its military bar- thing from small arms to tanks. Tracks to children yesterday They were not allowed to fi re the to let them handle and pose with weapons. weapons and other hardware on The military government has the country’s annual Children’s promised to restore democracy, Day. but delays in fi nalising a new con- The army plays a big role in stitution are widely expected to Thailand’s public and political life. push a general election beyond the It seized power during political end of this year. turmoil in 2014 in the 19th coup Prime Minister Prayuth Chan- since absolute monarchy was ocha, who took power in the May abolished in 1932. 2014 coup, showed off his kickbox- The armed forces traditionally ing skills at a Children’s Day event opens up facilities on the second at Government House in Bangkok. Saturday in January, when many Shortly after the coup, he in- attractions grant free entry to kids troduced the junta’s 12 Thai val- for Children’s Day. ues for children with an emphasis One event in southern Thailand on deference to authority and the was marred yesterday by the crash monarchy. A boy sits on a tank to pose for a picture during Children’s Day celebration at a military facility in Bangkok yesterday. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 13 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

Chemicals pollute Tokyo fi sh market site

AFP Tokyo

igh levels of toxic chemicals were found in groundwater tests at a Hnew facility scheduled to replace Tokyo’s Tsukiji fi sh market — the world’s largest — clouding the costly relocation plan, news reports said yesterday. The controversial project has been de- layed over fears about toxic contamina- tion, which also impacted the 2020 Olym- pics to be hosted by the Japanese capital. The megacity’s new governor, Yuriko Koike, has said she would postpone the move originally set for November last year, as she awaits fi nal groundwater testing re- sults at the new site, a former gas plant. The relocation plan has been marred by problems, including the discovery that contractors had inexplicably failed to fi ll in a basement at the new site with clean soil as a buff er against underground pollution. Results of the fi nal testing showed that levels of toxic materials, including ben- zene, detected in underground water at the new site were above nationally set limits, the Yomiuri Shimbun and Jiji Press said. It came after the previous test also showed high levels of mercury were found inside the facility’s basement. Plans to uproot the more than 80-year- Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull address a press conference at Kirribilli House in Sydney yesterday. old market, a popular tourist attraction, have been in the works for years, with ad- vocates citing the need for upgraded tech- nology. The local government paid a whopping 86bn yen ($750mn) in cleanup costs. But Koike, a former TV anchorwoman elected last year as Tokyo’s fi rst female governor, has pledged to reconsider the Japan and Australia agree plan. “What we have to uphold is food secu- rity,” Koike said yesterday, according to Jiji Press. “We may have to study further.” Koike, however, has not said if she would consider scrapping the relocation altogether if the test results are bad. to strengthen defence ties She has also questioned the 588bn yen in relocation costs — more than one-third Reuters asserts its claims over disputed terri- The two leaders announced the develop Japan’s defence export ca- of islands there, with military assets, higher than earlier estimates — to put the Sydney tory in the South China Sea. signing of an Acquisition and Cross- pabilities as part of a more muscular has unnerved its neighbours and risks market on a site several kilometres away “We have confi rmed our commit- Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which security agenda. a fallout with the United States. and build a modern facility about 40% ment to the rule of law, free trade and will increase co-operation in com- Japan, as well as Australia, is look- US president-elect Donald Trump’s larger with state-of-the-art refrigeration. apanese Prime Minister Shinzo open markets in our region,” Turnbull bined exercises, training and peace- ing to protect its strategic and trade nominee for secretary of state, Rex Postponing Tsukiji’s move has also Abe yesterday met his Austral- told reporters at a joint press confer- keeping operations. interests in Asia-Pacifi c, especially as Tillerson, has said China should be prompted Koike to suspend plans to con- Jian counterpart Malcolm Turn- ence yesterday. The agreement is expected to be fi - China becomes increasingly assertive denied access to islands it has built in struct a tunnel under the current Tsukiji bull in Sydney where the pair agreed Abe said the increasingly uncertain nalised by the end of 2017. in the South China Sea. the South China Sea. market leading to an athletes’ village for to deepen defence ties through joint geopolitical landscape made the rela- The announcement comes nearly Both leaders yesterday also reaf- China claims most of the resource- the 2020 Games because it could not be military training and exercises. tionship between Japan and Australia nine months after Australia chose a fi rmed the importance of their re- rich South China Sea through which built in time. Abe’s visit to Australia is the fi rst more important than ever. “It is im- French bid over a Japanese design for spective security alliances with the about $5tn in ship-borne trade passes Meanwhile, Tsukiji’s wholesalers have since Turnbull became prime min- portant to guard and increase the ro- a new fl eet of submarines. United States. every year. Neighbours Brunei, Ma- voiced frustration over the delay, saying ister in late 2015, and comes amid bustness of the free, open and rules- The loss of the $40bn contract was China’s recent naval exercises in laysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and that postponing the move will cost them heightened regional tension as China based international order,” Abe said. a major blow for Abe’s ambitions to the South China Sea and the building Vietnam also have claims. millions of dollars a month.

Elvis effect ... China, Vietnam Surfer saved after night adrift to ‘manage’ AFP Pictures posted on Facebook show him Sydney hanging on to a lifebuoy thrown from the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s boat. South China The crew gave him food and drink and Japanese man has been rescued af- warm clothing and contacted the author- ter spending a night drifting on his ities. Sea diff erences Asurfboard miles off the east coast “Our crew are always being observant of Australia, a report said yesterday. of marine traffi c, but it is exceptionally The 37-year-old told police a current fortunate they were able to spot this man Reuters pulled him out to sea off Bulli Beach, 80km waving for help from his surf board,” MSC Shanghai south of Sydney on Thursday evening. Australia managing director Kevin Clarke “He spent the night clinging to his told Infomarine On-Line. surfboard and it is estimated he spent The unnamed man was in “remarkably hina and Vietnam yesterday pledged about 16 hours in the water,” the Austral- good spirits”, he said. to manage their diff erences and safe- ian Broadcasting Corp said yesterday. The surfer was taken to Wollongong Cguard peace in the South China Sea, He told police the waves were too big Hospital but discharged Friday afternoon in a joint communique issued during a visit for him and he could not paddle back to in good health, ABC added. to China by Vietnamese Communist Party shore against a strong current. “This incident is a reminder of the chief Nguyen Phu Trong. The crew of passing container ship MSC need to let people know your plans before Ultimate Elvis tribute artist competitor Brendon Chase of Auckland, New Zealand, reacts yesterday After “candid” discussions, the two coun- Damla spotted him sitting on his hired yel- setting out, as well as the importance of as he is announced the winner of the contest at the 25th annual Parkes Elvis Festival in the rural tries agreed to “manage well their maritime low board 6km off shore and managed to knowing local conditions,” Surf Life Sav- Australian town of Parkes, west of Sydney. diff erence, avoid actions that complicate the pull him aboard the 300m vessel. ing New South Wales said yesterday. situation and escalate tensions, and safe- guard the peace and stability of the South China Sea”, said the communique published in full by China’s state news agency Xinhua. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, where about $5tn worth of sea-borne Beijing air pollution goal more than double of WHO acceptable norm trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan, in addition to Viet- nam, also have claims in the sea, believed to Reuters is 20-25 micrograms per cubic have rich deposits of oil and gas. Beijing metre. In public statements, Chinese and Viet- Beijing’s air quality likely namese leaders regularly talk up their com- improved 9.9% in 2016, the mon interests as “traditional” friends and eijing’s air quality tar- municipal government said in neighbours, but confl icting claims of sover- get for 2017 is more a document, and PM2.5 likely eignty in the South China Sea have become a Bthan double the accept- sat at an annual average of 73, major source of tension in recent years. able standard set by the World better than the 2016 target of In the joint communique yesterday, the Health Organisation (WHO), around 76.6. two sides agreed to continue to “fully and ef- the mayor announced yester- But smog has engulfed Bei- fectively” implement the Declaration on the day in the wake of weeks of jing and large swathes of the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China hazardous air pollution in the north and centre of the coun- Sea and strive for the early conclusion of a Chinese capital. try for days at a time in recent Code of Conduct on the basis of consensus “We will work hard to keep weeks, disrupting fl ights, port in the framework of the DOC. PM2.5 at an annual average of operations and schools. In September, Chinese President Xi Jin- around 60 micrograms per cu- Environmental authorities ping told Vietnam’s visiting prime minister bic metre,” Beijing mayor Cai said yesterday bad air would their common interests far outweighed their Qi said during his delivery of strike provinces around Beijing diff erences, and called for their dispute in the city’s annual work report at in the coming days, the state the South China Sea to be resolved through the opening of the Beijing Peo- news agency Xinhua reported. talks. ple’s Congress yesterday. Last week, Beijing said it Vietnam is in the midst of a quiet military PM2.5 refers to damaging air would establish a police force build-up which analysts say is designed as a particles so small they can pass to deal specifi cally with envi- deterrent, to secure its 200 nautical mile ex- through humans’ lungs to af- ronmental off ences as part of clusive economic zone, as China grows more fect other organs. eff orts to clean up its air and assertive in staking its claims in the South The acceptable PM2.5 an- crack down on persistent pol- China Sea. Cyclists wearing masks ride past Tiananmen Gate during a smog ‘red alert’ in Beijing last month. nual average set by the WHO luters. Gulf Times 14 Sunday, January 15, 2017 BRITAIN MPs want Brexit plan by mid-Feb

AFP London

n infl uential group of MPs yesterday called on Prime Minister Theresa May to publish by mid-February her Aplans for leaving the EU, and urged her to prepare for a transitional deal to limit uncertainty for business. The cross-party Brexit committee called for a policy docu- ment clarifying the government’s “broad aims”, including whether Britain should stay in the single market and customs union, to allow proper scrutiny before exit talks start. May has promised to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, which sets out a two-year timeframe for exit negotia- tions, by the end of March. “We’re not asking the government to give away its red lines or negotiating fallback positions, but we do want clarity on its broad aims given the signifi cance and complexity of the nego- tiating task,” said committee chairman Hilary Benn. Ministers have said they want to agree both the terms of Britain’s departure and a new trade relationship with the EU within the two-year timeframe, but European leaders have warned this will be tough. Echoing calls by many business leaders, the committee said it would be wise to prepare for a transition deal in the event that a new trade agreement was not ready. “The government should seek appropriate transitional ar- rangements in the interests of business,” both in Britain and the EU, said Benn, an opposition Labour MP. The committee said the government should seek continued A photo posted on Nahella Ashraf’s Facebook page. access to EU markets in fi nancial services, for the benefi t of both sides, and warned against a return to tariff s in other sec- tors. It also called for a commitment that British lawmakers — most of whom opposed leaving the EU in the June referendum — will have a vote on the fi nal deal. May has said that giving a “running commentary” on her plans could harm Britain’s negotiating position, but has promised more details in a major speech on Tuesday. Hijab-clad Muslim woman “I will set out more on our objectives for those negotia- tions — how we will work to get the right deal for Britain and embark on a new constructive partnership with the European Union that makes sense for us all,” she told a press conference on Friday. May has said she wants to end uncontrolled migration from within the EU and to remove Britain from the jurisdiction of racially abused in chip shop the European Court of Justice — two key elements of mem- bership of the single market. By Mark Chandler a barrage of vile Islamophobic shop started moving him out of lems stemmed from hysteria over She said: “People need to get on A government spokesman said: “We’ve said we will set out London Evening Standard abuse by one of the customers. the takeaway.” the hijab and people blaming so- the streets on that day to show the our plans, subject to not undermining the UK negotiating po- She told the Standard: “I guess Ms Ashraf, who is part of the cial problems like austerity on mi- racists aren’t the majority.” sition, by the end of March and that parliament will be appro- he was sat behind me and as he organisation Stand Up To Racism, nority groups. Police confi rmed they were priately engaged throughout the process of exit.” woman wearing a hijab went to leave he grabbed my arm. had been visiting the capital from “I don’t think people overnight treating the incident, which took claims she was racially “He started sort of screaming her Manchester home and said the became racist in this country,” place on January 6 at around Aabused by a thug who spat stuff , saying he wouldn’t tolerate abuse in a multicultural area like she said. “When you look at the 9.30pm, as a racially-aggravated in her face at a west London chip people like me being there.” London left her horrifi ed. fi gures, it’s more Muslim women hate crime. shop. Ms Ashraf said shocked shop She said: “The most shocking rather than Muslim men that are A Scotland Yard spokesman Nahella Ashraf had been eating staff tried to intervene, with one thing is you don’t expect it when being attacked. In any other cul- said: “Offi cers attended but the EU Brexit chief sees at a shop in Hammersmith with a pulling the man away and asking you’re in a crowded place in cen- ture it wouldn’t be acceptable to suspect had already fl ed the scene, group of friends after a business what the problem was. tral London. talk about a woman’s dress – it’s in the direction of Hammersmith meeting in town when the attack She explained: “He was just “It makes me think if it can their choice. Underground Station. ‘special care’ for took place. saying ‘people like her, they kill happen there it can happen in a “But for Muslim women it’s “The suspect is described as a The 46-year-old Government people. You shouldn’t have her in lot of other places you don’t hear open season. It’s just shocking.” male of Arab appearance, aged in researcher and anti-racism cam- here’ about. People just don’t report it.” Ms Ashraf said she was encour- his 30s, about 5ft 9ins tall, with fi nancial service ties paigner said she had been in the “And then, as he was saying There was a spike in hate crime aging people to join a series of facial hair, balding head and a King Street shop for around 45 this, he spat in my face. in the capital following the Brexit marches on March 18 to mark UN non-British accent. He was wear- minutes before being hit with “That’s when the guy in the vote, but Ms Ashraf said the prob- Anti-Racism Day. ing a green hooded jacket.” Reuters Brussels

he European Union’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said yesterday that the EU will demand “special vigi- Tlance” before letting British fi nancial fi rms access the GPs reject proposed 7-day work week bloc because of the large risk London could pose to the EU’s fi nancial stability. Responding to a report in the Guardian which said he had Guardian News Service The GPs I’ve talked to, they are so told EU lawmakers that he wanted a special deal to maintain EU London angry, so angry. And rightly angry, fi rms’ access to the City of London, Barnier tweeted: “When that what do they expect from us? asked on equivalence I said: EU would need special vigilance on And I think it’s high time, they fi nancial stability risk, not special deal to access the City.” amily doctors and medi- might be that desperate, that they An EU spokesman said the Guardian report did “not cor- cal leaders have rejected say yes. If you want this kind of rectly refl ect” Barnier’s comments to a closed door meeting FTheresa May’s demand to work without funding then it is a with members of the European Parliament last week. move to a seven-day week, with call for mass resignation.” EU offi cials said the point Barnier was making when asked one prominent GP warning that David Wrigley, the current dep- about Brussels’ willingness after Brexit to recognise Brit- it could lead to mass resignations. uty chair of the BMA, said May’s ish fi nancial regulations as “equivalent” in rigour to those of Dr Kailash Chand, a former call was essentially asking his col- the EU was that, as a lot of EU business was likely to still pass deputy chair of the British Medi- leagues to take irresponsible risks through the City, EU equivalence rules would have to be much cal Association, said GPs were so with their patients’ lives. more tightly drafted compared to those for smaller centres. angry with government attempts “The prime minister is actually The Guardian quoted minutes prepared by parliamentary to scapegoat them for the crisis in asking doctors to provide unsafe aides as saying Barnier told lawmakers: “Some very specifi c the NHS and chronic underfund- care to their patients, which goes work has to be done in this area...There will be a special/spe- ing that they could disaffi liate against everything a doctor has cifi c relationship. There will need to be work outside of the from the service. been trained for,” said Wrigley, negotiation box... in order to avoid fi nancial instability.” Downing Street has told sur- who works as a GP in Lancashire.” EU offi cials said Barnier, a Frenchman who ran EU fi nancial geries in England that if they GPs work 12-14 hours a day in services policy, was not speaking of a “special deal” to limit refused to move to 8am-8pm an NHS collapsing around them A doctor attends to a young patient in the specialist Children’s Accident and Emergency department of the the impact of Brexit on fi nancial services trade between Brit- opening, seven days a week, they due to the defunding of the NHS ‘Royal Albert Edward Infirmary’ in Wigan, north west England. ain and the EU but rather emphasising that Brussels would would lose funding unless they by this government and cuts to have to take special care not to ignore stability risks in London. could prove there was no demand social care brought about by Mrs in social care and fl ow through to. What we cannot be providing “It’s also bad for hospitals, who The offi cials said he responded to a question on equivalence from patients. May and her cabinet. hospitals. is stretching a service where we then face additional pressure on by noting that the extent of EU rules governing relations with Chand said: “I think making “Shamefully for this govern- “GPs have been under real pres- are struggling — and we do man- their services.” non-EU fi nancial centres was proportional to the volume of EU this particular statement at this ment, our NHS is one of the lowest sure for some years, and spreading age in spite of the pressures — into Ministers say they are provid- business conducted in them — and so to the risk of, say, a bank minute is essentially scapegoat- funded health services compared them more thinly across the week a seven-day service.” ing an additional £528m a year collapse in London destabilising markets on the continent. ing. (May) has got to fi nd some- with other European countries. won’t necessarily help. The row comes amid increas- for general practices by 2020-21 With, say, the United States, the EU has negotiated accords thing, she can’t blame (health We are short of thousands of GPs “Evaluations show that uptake ing exasperation among ministers to ensure the target for providing to recognise the “equivalence” of, for example, bank super- secretary) Jeremy Hunt for this, or in this country.” for weekend appointments is of- that the unavailability of GP ap- seven-day opening is met by that vision standards to make it easier for European companies to her own government. He added: “Of course the col- ten not very high. The govern- pointments is driving patients to date. use US banks and let US institutions sell services in the EU. “She’s got to find a scapegoat lapsing NHS suits the Conserva- ment needs to work with NHS seek treatment in hard-pressed However they say they are con- The extent of such equivalence agreements has been a major and GPs are probably the easiest tives, as we will see the introduc- professionals to fi nd solutions hospital accident and emergency cerned by a recent fi nding by the concern for British-based banks wanting continued access to the scapegoat in this way because tion of private GPs, charging for that work.” departments. National Audit Offi ce that 46% EU market. Other EU governments have said they will welcome your rival papers, like the Daily appointments and insurance- Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA The director of acute care for of GP surgeries were still clos- fi nancial fi rms moving out of London and say Britain’s economy Mail, all the time are giving the driven healthcare. This nightmare GP committee chair, said they NHS England, Prof Keith Willett, ing at some point during “core” and its big services sector must pay a price for Brexit so that it public the view that GPs don’t scenario is not far away now. were facing a “major alert”, with recently estimated that 30% of weekday working hours — with does not inspire voters in other countries to follow suit. work and GPs are working only “We will also see more services eight in 10 practices saying they the patients attending A&E would 18% closing before 3pm a least EU ministers and offi cials acknowledge that damage to nine-to-five, which is non- sold off to ministers’ friends in the were unable to provide safe care, be better cared for elsewhere in one day a week — despite three- London’s global fi nancial centre caused by Brexit will hurt not sense.” large corporate sector.” and one in three reporting unfi lled the system. quarters of them having received only Britain but the other 27 EU states. Chand said he saw a more sin- Nigel Edwards, the chief execu- vacancies. A Downing Street source said: extra funding to provide extended “Both the UK and the EU will suff er,” Maltese Finance Min- ister, veiled motivation behind the tive of the Nuffi eld Trust charity, “We have got a very serious “Most GPs do a fantastic job, cover. ister Edward Scicluna said on Thursday as Malta took on the threat, which was to “decimate or suggested May’s call misinter- problem that we don’t have the and have their patients’ interests They also suggest some sur- rotating chair of EU councils. underfund the NHS to that level preted the nature of the crisis in capacity in general practice. The fi rmly at heart. geries are failing to advertise the “We will lose that effi cient centre,” he told reporters, fore- where people start saying the hospital emergency rooms. crisis in the NHS won’t be solved “However, it is increasingly availability of extended hours casting that many fi nancial fi rms would relocate to various NHS is not serving and ultimately “The issue in A&E is largely by scapegoating or defl ecting clear that a large number of sur- appointments and GPs will be cities in the EU. “That will be a loss...The EU will suff er once pass it on to the private sector”. around people with serious health blame on to GPs,” he told the BBC geries are not providing access warned that future additional services are fragmented. It will be longer term.” He added: “There was, last problems who need a bed, and Radio 4 Today programme. that patients need — and that pa- cash will be contingent on them Nonetheless, Scicluna said, the signs of banks and other year, a special LSE conference in couldn’t be taken care of safely in “All patients can see a GP 24 tients are suff ering as a result be- demonstrating they are off er- City fi rms preparing to move operations to other parts of the London in which there was a call general practice,” he said. hours a day, 365 days a year. Pa- cause they are then forced to go to ing appointments when patients EU amid uncertainty about the terms of Brexit showed that for a mass resignation from GPs. “The underlying problems are tients can see a GP when they need A&E to seek care. want them. the immediate cost was much greater for Britain. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 15 EUROPE

Denmark to raise Poles welcome US troops military spending

Reuters as wary Nato eyes Russia Copenhagen AFP Zagan, Poland ato member Denmark plans to increase military Nspending in response to olish authorities and ordi- Russian missile deployments in nary Poles have welcomed the Baltic region that it perceives PUS troops who arrived this as a threat, its new defence min- week as part of an unprecedented ister said in an interview pub- deployment to Nato’s eastern lished on Friday. fl ank aimed at deterring Russia. But Claus Hjort Frederiksen “Welcome to Poland,” Prime said that despite pressure from Minister Beata Szydlo told US allies including incoming US troops yesterday in Zagan, the President Donald Trump, Den- Polish town on the German bor- mark was not able to meet the der where the brigade will be Nato defence spending target of headquartered, adding: “We 2% of gross domestic product. hope you feel at home”. “We are under great pressure “The presence of American from both the current Obama soldiers in Poland is another step administration and, from what in our strategy to ensure safety we understand, the incoming and security for Poland and the Prime Minister Szydlo and Polish General Jaroslaw Mika at the off icial president Trump to live up to region,” she added. welcoming ceremony for US troops in Zagan. the 2% target,” Frederiksen said. Hailing from Fort Carson, “I would say it is not a realistic Colorado, the so-called “Iron day as part of one of the largest The defence ministry held (target to reach).” Brigade” comprising some 3,500 deployments of US forces in Eu- “Safe Poland” picnics yester- His comments feed into a soldiers and heavy equipment rope since the Cold War, an oper- day in cities across the country, contentious debate about bur- will also be deployed in North At- ation that Russia angrily branded allowing average Poles to meet den-sharing in Nato, fuelled by lantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) a security “threat”. Polish and newly deployed US Trump’s assertions that US allies partners Estonia, Latvia, Lithua- The brigade’s deployment, troops, view military hardware are not contributing enough for nia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hun- ordered by the outgoing Obama and chow down typical Polish US army soldiers and a local their own defence and Washing- gary on a rotational basis. administration, comes a week army grub including pea soup Polish woman pose for a picture Agencies warn of eff orts to weaken EU-US ties ton is paying a disproportionate It is part of the Pentagon’s “At- ahead of the inauguration of US with ham. after the off icial welcoming amount. lantic Resolve” operation aimed President-elect Donald Trump, Hundreds of residents attend- ceremony in Zagan for US troops German intelligence issued a report to the federal government accusing Denmark spent about 1.2% of at countering security concerns who has suggested that his Re- ed the offi cial welcome ceremo- deployed to Poland as part of the Russia of trying to weaken the relationship between European and US GDP on defence in 2016. triggered on Nato’s eastern fl ank publican administration will seek nies in Zagan. Nato build-up in eastern Europe. agencies, Der Spiegel reported yesterday. Russia said in October that by Russia’s 2014 annexation of to ease tensions with the Krem- “The deployment is neces- The document, issued by a “psychological operation” intelligence group, as part of routine drills it had Crimea from Ukraine. lin. sary and it’s great that they’re residents. “I’m surprised actu- concludes that Russia has been influencing countries in the European moved ballistic nuclear-capable “This is America’s most ca- Poland on Friday told Trump here. We can feel the support of ally, people are very excited to see Union for years with the goal of weakening close EU-US intelligence ties, Iskander-M missiles to its en- pable fi ghting force: a combat- that any improvement in Wash- our allies,” a Zagan resident who us.” the magazine said. clave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic ready, highly trained US ar- ington’s ties with Moscow can- identifi ed himself only as Pawel Tensions between Russia and The government is still considering if and in what form it will make the Sea and deployed its S-400 air moured brigade, with our most not come at the cost of harming told AFP. the West have escalated over the report public, Der Spiegel reported. missile defence system there. advanced equipment and weap- Warsaw. Fellow Zagan resident Jan said past two years, triggered by Rus- Moscow has attempted to aggravate societal conflicts taking place in the Denmark last month off ered onry,” US ambassador to Poland According to Poland’s Defence he was not convinced that the sia’s actions in Ukraine and its United States, according to the report, which follows a German govern- to deploy 200 troops to a United Paul Jones said at the ceremo- Minister Antoni Macierewicz, a US deployment was absolutely military campaign in Syria since ment request to monitor Russian activity. Kingdom-led Nato mission in nies, also attended by hundreds total of 7,000 US and Nato troops necessary, but chuckled that “it late 2015. Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) and domestic intelligence Estonia, and has said it plans to of Zagan residents. “This force will be stationed in his country in would be good if they scare the Last summer, Nato leaders en- agency, the Verfassungsschutz, had been tasked by the government with join a Europe-based missile de- embodies America’s iron-clad the coming years. Russians a little, because they’re dorsed plans to rotate troops into investigating Russian eff orts after a series of suspected propaganda cam- fence system. commitment to honour our Nato “We’ve waited decades for out of control”. Poland and the three Baltic states paigns and cyber attacks. In March 2015, Russia’s am- treaty obligation to defend our you, often feeling alone and that Freshly-arrived US military to reassure them they would not The report comes as US President-elect Donald Trump signalled in a bassador to Denmark threatened Nato allies.” we’ll never see you here,” Ma- police offi cer Peter Gomez told be left in the lurch if Russia was Wall Street Journal interview published yesterday that he was open to to aim nuclear missiles at Danish The US troops and tanks began cierewicz told US troops at the AFP that he felt “very welcome” tempted to repeat its Ukraine in- stronger ties with Russia and lifting US sanctions on the country. warships if Denmark joined that streaming into Poland on Thurs- Zagan ceremonies. as he posed for selfi es with Zagan tervention. programme. Ukraine military, rebels say new truce in east disrupted

AFP its neighbour Russia of launch- agreements and is disposed to the start in accepting the ‘regime Kiev ing the war in retaliation for the escalate the stand-off ,” said of silence’, it was not observed”. ouster of Kiev’s Moscow-backed Ukraine’s military spokesman DAN reported that on Friday president in 2014, while Russia Oleksandr Motuzyanyk. evening and overnight, Ukrain- krainian government denies any role in the confl ict. He said one soldier had been ian forces “submitted a number forces and the pro-Rus- Yesterday Ukraine’s mili- wounded in the last 24 hours. of frontline populated areas to Usian separatist rebels tary accused the rebel militias Rebels on Friday handed over massive bombardment around fi ghting in eastern Ukraine have of shelling 23 times, three times the bodies of three soldiers who Donetsk, Yasinuvata and Hor- accused each other of disrupt- from large-calibre weapons, the separatists say were blown up livka and towards the south”. ing a fragile truce declared late in the last 24 hours in the area by land mines close to rebel po- One civilian was killed by December. around the rebel stronghold of sitions around a week ago, Mo- shelling overnight in the rebels’ Kiev and the rebels agreed a Donetsk. tuzyanyk added. self-declared Luhansk People’s new “indefi nite” ceasefi re deal Meanwhile, the leader of self- Ukraine had reported its fi rst Republic, its offi cial news agency after Ukraine and Russia held proclaimed Donetsk People’s combat death since the truce on reported. talks in Minsk last month me- Republic (DPR) Alexander Za- December 29 although this did In its latest statement on Fri- diated by the Organisation for kharchenko said Ukrainian forces not immediately lead to a col- day, the OSCE said that between Security and Co-operation in carried out massive shelling of lapse of the ceasefi re. Wednesday and Thursday eve- Europe (OSCE) and it went into frontline areas on Friday evening Donetsk rebel leader Za- nings its observers recorded force on December 24. and overnight. kharchenko was quoted by the “more mortar and artillery ex- The deal brought fresh hope of “The broadening of the geo- separatist news agency DAN plosions” in the rebel-controlled an end to 31 months of fi ghting in graphical location of combat and as saying that “Ukraine always area round Donetsk and “more which nearly 10,000 people have the total amount of hostile shell- demonstrated it would not carry ceasefi re violations” in the area been killed. ing demonstrates the enemy does out the agreements reached in around Luhansk compared to the Ex-Soviet Ukraine accuses not plan to carry out the Minsk Minsk. There was no point from previous day.

Berlin off icial fired A woman stands yesterday in front of a frozen tree covered in water from a burst pipe near Librazhd in southeast Albania. Cold and icy weather has swept Albania over the last week causing several deaths, over Stasi past hundreds of fractures from slippages on icy roads, frozen water pipes and water tanks as well as left MH17 relatives considering new isolated many villages in the northeastern monotonous part of the small Mediterranean nation. The mayor of Berlin has announced that a senior regional search in crash site for remains off icial had been fired for having worked in the Stasi, the former East Germany’s dreaded secret Severe weather continues to AFP sterdam to Kuala Lumpur, kill- Russia, was fi red from a fi eld police. The Hague ing all 298 on board, most of in a part of war-torn Ukraine Andrej Holm, in charge of them Dutch citizens. then controlled by pro-Russian housing in the state of Berlin, Last Sunday, when freelance rebels, and hit the plane. showed “by his statements and wreak havoc across Europe amilies of the MH17 plane journalist Michel Spekkers re- But it stopped short of saying in interviews” about his past disaster victims may push turned to Amsterdam from who pulled the trigger. that “he was unable to look Ffor a renewed search of Ukraine, Dutch police con- Van Zijtveld said the new clearly at himself and to draw the DPA A storm on Thursday evening water sparingly, citing low lev- the crash site in eastern Ukraine fi scated the items that he had fi ndings had opened painful consequences”, the head of the Paris/Athens had cut power to as many as els of water supplies as a result after the recent discovery of a collected, including the human wounds for victims’ relatives, regional government, Michael 330,000 homes, with electric- of the burst pipes. bone fragment belonging to one bone fragment. who now wanted to know why Mueller, said in a statement. ity being restored in many areas The cold front across Eu- of the dead. DNA tests this week showed a journalist was able to fi nd the The 45-year-old Holm’s ties to ind, snow and frigid on Friday. rope has triggered chaos and “We are considering speak- that the bone belonged to one human remains. the Stasi were revealed by a local temperatures were The spokesman said the unusual occurrences in several ing to authorities about another of the victims, whose other re- He earlier told the NOS pub- newspaper last month just as Wwreaking havoc company hoped to have elec- other countries hit by snow and search for human remains,” mains were identifi ed in 2014, lic broadcaster that Spekkers he was taking over the housing across Europe yesterday after a tricity restored to the remaining freezing temperatures in the Evert van Zijtveld, chairman of Dutch prosecutors said in a did not fi nd the bone in an iso- position. wind storm in France left thou- homes, many in rural areas, by past few days. the MH17 victims’ foundation, statement on Friday. lated area but at a shed where The son of a Stasi off icer, he sands without electricity and the end of the day. Germany experienced hur- said yesterday. The victim’s family was in- a search team had brought to- joined the agency at the age of 14 icy conditions in Greece led to In Greece, some 150,000 ricane force winds and major “As relatives, we simply don’t formed. gether all items found from the and four years later enrolled in its burst pipes and no running wa- residents of the central city of traffi c disruptions, while snow want any human remains to be The rest of the articles crash site. school as an off icer cadet. ter for many households. Volos have been without run- in Italy turned the canal city of left behind,” Van Zijtveld, who brought back by Spekkers were “If it turns out that not all He worked for the Stasi in the Approximately 32,500 homes ning water for the past three Venice into a winter wonder- lost a son, daughter and his “not relevant to the criminal in- commitments to return hu- period immediately before the in France were without electric- days after icy temperatures led land, with tourists and locals parents-in-law, told AFP. vestigation”, prosecutors said. man remains have been heeded, fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. ity yesterday morning following water lines to freeze and burst, snapping pictures of the snow- The Malaysia Airlines Boe- A Dutch-led criminal inves- we’ll consider discussing the He admitted his Stasi past and a strong wind storm, according local media reported. covered Doge’s Palace and slip- ing 777 passenger jet was shot tigation into the attack con- possibility of another mission expressed his apologies over the to a spokesman for electricity In Thessaloniki, water pro- ping on the icy walkways of the down over eastern Ukraine on cluded in September that a go and bring back our loved past weeks, but was unable to provider Enedis. viders called on residents to use city’s more than 400 bridges. July 17, 2014 en route from Am- BUK missile, transported from ones,” Van Zijtveld said. tamp down the controversy. Gulf Times 16 Sunday, January 15, 2017 INDIA

PEOPLE POLITICS TRAGEDY INITIATIVE RELIGION Former Punjab CM Odisha victim of central Four children burnt IndiGo to transport bodies Himachal temple to Surjit Singh Barnala dies neglect: Naveen Patnaik alive in Gurugram of NE residents for free have 1,600kg butter idol

Former Punjab chief minister, federal minister Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday Four children of a family were burnt to death and Budget airliner IndiGo in association with Delhi Preparations started yesterday morning for the and governor of Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and said his state has been a victim of central their parents injured when their house caught police has launched a scheme to carry bodies installation of the idol of Brajeshwari Devi made of Andhra Pradesh Surjit Singh Barnala died in neglect and conspiracy in the Polavaram and fire in Gurugram yesterday morning, police said. of underprivileged residents of northeast 1,600kg of clarified butter in the famous Brajeshwari Chandigarh yesterday following a brief spell of Mahanadi projects. “As you know the rivers, Kusum, 14, Kanchan, 10, Rohit, 6, and Mohit, 5, India, who die in the national capital, to their Devi temple in Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, off icials illness. He was 91. Barnala, who was the Punjab especially the Mahanadi, are the lifelines of were burnt alive and Kirpal Singh and Surajwati homes free of cost. An IndiGo statement said said. The idol, being prepared by using ‘desi ghee’ chief minister from 1985 to 1987, was admitted to Odisha. But Odisha has repeatedly been denied were injured in the fire broke out in their house “Aakhiri Ahuti” is a humanitarian initiative to after purification with holy water 101 times by the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education its rights on the rivers flowing through it. Both in the fields of Mohamedpur village, near the ferry the remains of the deceased belonging temple priests, will be open for the public early and Research (PGIMER) recently where he died. in Pollavaram and Mahanadi, we have been Delhi-Gurugram expressway. Singh, hailing from to the northeastern states. “There were several today morning, temple off icial Pawan Badyal said. He was the governor of Tamil Nadu (1990-91 and a victim of central neglect and conspiracy,” Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh, does farming incidents in which people from northeastern He said the butter idol would be removed from the 2004-2011), Andhra Pradesh (2003-2004) and he said. “But all of you know that we are on nearly four acres of land on a contract basis. states residing in Delhi died. They were buried or ‘pindi’ or iconography of the goddess on January 20 Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) from November determined to fight this issue at every level till He was admitted to Safdarjung hospital in Delhi cremated in Delhi without their kith or kin being and its ‘prasada’ or edible food would be distributed 2000 to January 2003. He also held additional we achieve the desired results,” Patnaik said in as his condition was said to be critical, a relative present. Due to financial constraints, relatives of among the devotees. One of the busiest shrines charge as governor in Orissa (now Odisha). Bhubaneswar. He said the denial of funds for of the victims said. The reason behind the blaze the deceased were unable to take the body back in north India, the Brajeshwari Devi temple sees a He was also the Lt Governor of Andaman and Kalahandi Balangir Koraput (KBK) region was could not be ascertained immediately. The to their native place,” the statement said. It said large number of pilgrims from Punjab, Haryana, Nicobar and Pondicherry (now Puducherry). another example of central neglect. bodies have been sent for postmortem. that “Aakhiri Ahuti” was launched on Thursday. Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

N India in grip of cold Govt says it wave; nine die in UP respects the IANS New Delhi

ine deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh as a Nsevere cold wave gripped autonomy of northern India yesterday with Himachal Pradesh’s Keylong and Jammu and Kashmir’s Kargil registering minus 13.9 and minus 15.6 degrees Celsius, respec- tively. New Delhi recorded its lowest central bank temperature of the season. According to the weather of- RBI employees oppose RBI’s autonomy and its statutory in the world does a government fi ce, another spell of rain and alleged interference by the as well as operational jurisdic- intervene in such a brazen fash- snowfall was expected both in government tion,” the letter read. ion,” Jha said. Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir The employee unions said the He added that the RBI em- today and tomorrow. IANS criticism faced by the RBI for al- ployees’ unions were justifi ed in The weather offi ce has pre- New Delhi leged operational mismanage- holding a protest and taking it dicted even harsher conditions ment during the recently-con- forward. in the next few days as Siberian cluded demonetisation drive CPM leader Brinda Karat took winds and a western disturbance he government yesterday has dented its image ‘beyond strong exception to the appoint- were expected to bring down the said it fully respects the repair’. ment of the offi cial and support- temperatures further. Tautonomy of the Reserve “It is painful to note that RBI ed the unions. With the Uttar Pradesh capi- Bank of India. is being criticised from many “The RBI’s mandate of au- tal Lucknow registering a dip of “It is categorically stated that quarters for its ‘operational mis- tonomy given by parliament more than seven degrees, at least the government fully respects management’, by the press and has been not only eroded but nine deaths were reported from the independence and autonomy many important personalities. destroyed by the Modi gov- Kannauj and Kanpur since Fri- of the Reserve Bank of India,” Its autonomy and image have ernment. And now it is adding day, an offi cial said. Finance Ministry said in a state- been dented beyond repair,” the insult to injury by sending an The Met offi ce said that the ment here. letter stated. official directly to oversee (its mercury would dip steadily till The statement comes a day The unions also requested the operations). The unions are January 19 after which the weath- after employee unions of the RBI governor to protect the cen- absolutely correct in strongly er conditions might improve in central bank expressed their re- tral bank’s autonomy and pres- protesting against it,” Karat the state. All schools up to class sentment against alleged inter- tige. said. VIII have been shut till tomorrow. ference by the government. Opposition parties yester- JDU leader K C Tyagi op- The minimum temperature in “Consultations between the day accused the government posed the move saying that Lucknow was 0.4 degrees Celsi- government and the RBI are of eroding the autonomy of the several such attempts were us, making it the coldest place in undertaken on various matters RBI. made in the past to weaken the the state. The regional Met offi ce of public importance wherever The Congress, Communist RBI. said it was the lowest in several such consultation is mandated Party of India (Marxist), Ja- NCP leader Tariq Anwer years. by law or has evolved as a prac- nata Dal United and Nationalist called the attempt to depute a Intense cold wave has gripped tice. Consultations mandated Congress Party said the govern- government offi cial at RBI inap- the Kashmir Valley as it passes by law or as evolved by practice ment’s move had weakened the propriate. through the 40-day period of should not be taken as infringe- regulatory body. “It has been a tradition that harsh cold – ‘Chillai Kalan’ – ment of autonomy of RBI,” the Even the Shiv Sena, which is RBI should be allowed to work which began on December 21 and statement said. part of the Bharatiya Janata Par- independently. Any kind of di- will end on January 30. The RBI employees on Friday ty-led alliance central govern- rect monitoring by the govern- All water bodies in the valley sent a letter to Governor Urjit ment at and in Maharashtra, also ment is not appropriate.” were either completely or par- Patel expressing concern over slammed the move. Union leader and Shiv Sena tially frozen. Gulmarg and Pa- alleged interference by the cen- Congress spokesman Sanjay MP from Mumbai, Gajanan Kir- halgam recorded minus 14.4 and tral government. Jha said the independence of tikar said “As per the RBI Act, minus 12 degrees, respectively. The letter asked the governor several institutions in the coun- the central bank is autonomous Similar conditions were whether a recent media report, try were compromised by Prime and the government cannot in- witnessed in most parts of which said the Finance Ministry Minister Narendra Modi’s gov- terfere in its operations. Moni- Himachal Pradesh as prominent had deputed a joint secretary- ernment. toring chest currency operations tourist towns like Shimla, Nar- level offi cer to the RBI to oversee “The RBI is a daylight mani- of RBI is not the fi nance minis- kanda, Kufri, Kalpa, Dalhousie its currency chest operations, festation how autonomy and in- try’s job. and Manali were likely to experi- was true. dependence of the most critical “Now, we are going to hold ence light to moderate spells of “If true, this is most unfor- fi nancial regulatory body in the discussions with those con- snowfall in the coming days. tunate and we take strong ex- country has been compromised. cerned. We will take to agita- In Delhi the mercury dipped to Migratory birds walk on ice on Dal Lake in Srinagar yesterday. The night temperature in Kashmir and ception to this measure of the The RBI is signing on dotted tions if the decision is not rolled 3.2 degrees. Ladakh regions continued its downward spiral as the mercury dipped at many places. government as impinging on the lines like a paper tiger. Nowhere back,” Kirtikar said. Actor Dileep takes lead in BJP programme Chandy skips crucial ending Kerala cinema strike Congress Party meet IANS including Rajya Sabha deputy By Ashraf Padanna 16 with the exhibitors demanding heads the producers’ body. Thiruvananthapuram chairperson P J Kurian and Thiruvananthapuram a 50:50 revenue-sharing pattern “It’s producers who decide senior leader P C Chacko, said against the existing 60:40 ratio, when they should release a fi lm it was not fair for him to keep which the producers objected to. and where they should release,” ormer Kerala chief away. erala Film Exhibitors Fed- No Malayalam movies were added Kumar, whose daughter minister Oommen Chandy who attended a eration (KFEF) yesterday released during this period and Keerthi Suresh is the heroine of FChandy yesterday marriage of his close relative in Kcalled off its 30-day strike the Federation then asked the Vijay’s Tamil movie Bairavaa failed to turn up for a crucial Thiruvananthapuram amid growing dissent within and exhibitors to down shutters till which is now running to packed political affairs committee left for Kochi, while the PAC the emergence of a new body the dispute was resolved. houses at 70 centres in Kerala. (PAC) meeting of the Con- began its meeting at the state vowing to ensure cinemas in the They included Mohanlal’s Siddique said the year 2016 was gress here, and senior party party headquarters. state “never remain shut”. Munthiri Vallikal Thalirkkum- “the best time” for the Malayalam leaders were hard put to ex- Chandy has been upset “We, producers, distributors bol, Dulquer Salmaan’s Jomonte fi lm industry but the year-end plain his absence. with the party high com- and exhibitors are joining hands to Suvisheshangal, Prithviraj’s Ezra strike took the sheen out of it. State Congress president V mand ever since 14 district end this impasse and save the in- and Jayasurya’s Fukri. However, Basheer said he was M Sudheeran played down the party chiefs were named dustry,” actor Dileep, who took the Industry sources estimate the calling off the strike on a request absence, stating that Chandy last month, with many of his initiative, told reporters in Kochi losses at Rs250mn. Some 350 ‘A- by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vi- was busy. close aides ignored. Since after a meeting of stakeholders. Class” cinemas were remained jayan, and not under pressure “There are no issues in our then he has been reportedly “I am a producer and exhibi- shut since then, but 73 of them from others. party, and Chandy expressed sulking and did not take part tor, and I understand it’s the have now reportedly joined the “We got an assurance from the his inability to take part in to- in two meetings called by greed of (KFEF president) Lib- new group to “save the industry.” chief minister yesterday to inter- day’s meeting citing other en- the party high command of erty Basheer that led us to this Dileep reportedly has the vene and hold talks. We thought gagements. He has been called state-wide party leaders in situation. That would not work backing of superstars Mammoot- it would be irreverence (to his up by party vice president Ra- Delhi. anymore, and no theatre should ty and Mohanlal in his move that offi ce) if we refuse to heed,” he hul Gandhi and they will meet Congress leader K V remain shut.” would go a long way in strength- said. “Cinemas will start screen- on Monday in Delhi,” Sudheer- Thangkabalu, who partici- Dileep also claimed the sup- ening the sector that employs a ings today.” an told reporters. pated in the meeting as an ob- port of the Associations of Ma- large number of people. After a severe criticism by The political aff airs com- server, also failed to convince layalam Movie Artists (AMMA) “The KFEF members are also the opposition Congress Party, Federal Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal and mittee of the party is the high- the media on the absence of and Film Employees Federation welcome to join us,” said the ac- Vijayan had in a Facebook post Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hema Malini are welcomed by est state level party body. In Chandy. He said there are no of Kerala (FEFKA) of fi lmmakers tor who addressed reporters in said the unilateral stand of the party activists during a BJP programme in Mathura on Friday. the meeting those close to issues in the party, and that and technicians for his move. Kochi along with director Sid- exhibitors was a hurdle to ending Hema Malini represents Mathura in the Lok Sabha. Chandy defended his absence, the media is “out to create is- The strike began on December dique and G Suresh Kumar who the stalemate. while those not in his faction, sues”. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 17 INDIA

Agents of ‘migration express’ sell one-way ticket to debt bondage

Reuters “There are no jobs here,” Khan In Kantabanji, population thousands of families who leave kilns to feed India’s construction groups, senior police offi cer Ash- Those fi gures are dwarfed by Kantabanji, Odisha said, sitting in the offi ce of his 22,000, it’s so prevalent that their villages in western Odisha industry. ish Kumar Singh told the Thom- the actual number of migrants self-styled transport company in every second person seems to be each autumn to seek work across The agents, most in their 30s son Reuters Foundation. who leave the district every year Kantabanji, a railway town in the a “sardar”, or labour agent. India in a mass movement of or early 40s, have found ways to Around 230 agents received li- - around 500,000, according to ijam Khan was on a drought-prone district. “The booming economy of people called the “annual migra- bypass the law, pay off offi cials cences in 2015 to recruit workers activists and agents in Kantabanji. recruiting spree. All “The people will starve if we Kantabanji is like an oasis in the tion”, which lasts until the spring and keep up the steady supply of legitimately in Balangir district “They are going illegally, Nthrough the autumn, he don’t give them these loans and otherwise desolate, poor land- planting season. cheap labour. under legislation on the inter- which means they are being traf- drove to villages around the town jobs.” scape of Balangir district,” said Most are duped into off ering Illegal recruitment is an indus- state movement of labour, gov- fi cked,” district labour offi cer of Kantabanji in the eastern state What Khan describes as “loans Umi Daniel, a migrant rights activ- themselves for work as security try worth $150bn a year, cam- ernment data shows. Madan Mohan Paik said. of Odisha looking for labour. and jobs”, rights groups call debt ist with Aide et Action in Odisha. against a loan they have taken or paigners say. Alongside the sard- They registered and sent out “But we don’t have ways and He zeroed in on poor families, bondage – the most prevalent “The railhead thrives on the debt inherited from a relative, ars are the so-called muscle men 17,998 workers to brick kilns na- means to check this eff ectively. It jobless men and desperate cou- form of forced labour in a coun- labour of migrant workers who rights activists say. who settle scores with defaulters tionwide. has been like this for a very long ples. He gave them cash to buy try where an estimated 18mn are sent with the promise of bet- They then spend the next six and bribe offi cials. Last year, 170 agents were time.” food and clothes ahead of the lo- people live in some form of mod- ter wages. But the only people months — or more — working to These enforcers sneak bonded granted licences and more than The exploitation begins with cal harvest festival. ern slavery, according to the lat- making profi ts are the labour pay it back. labourers past authorities by dis- 13,000 labourers were registered, an “advance” of Rs20,000 – a In return, they gave him their est Global Slavery Index by Walk agents sending them out.” In 90% of cases, they are traf- guising them as marriage parties all of whom left their homes in welcome sum in a region where freedom. Free Foundation. Agents prey on the tens of fi cked by labour agents to brick or splitting families into smaller November. poverty is dire. I want to fi ght Camel festival Badal on his home turf: Amarinder

IANS Janata Party alliance and the Con- Amritsar/Chandigarh gress for the February 4 assembly polls, has already announced Delhi lawmaker Jarnail Singh to contest unjab Congress presi- against Badal from Lambi. dent Amarinder Singh In other developments, in a Phas sought his high com- blow to Uttar Pradesh’s ruling mand’s permission to fi ght next Samajwadi Party (SP), two of its month’s assembly elections senior party leaders yesterday against Chief Minister Parkash joined the BJP ahead of the as- Singh Badal in the latter’s tradi- sembly polls. tional Lambi seat. Former transport minister Amarinder, whose name has in the Akhilesh Yadav-led gov- already been announced by the ernment Raja Aridaman Singh Congress for his traditional as- hitched the bandwagon in the sembly seat of Patiala Urban, presence of state BJP president said in Amritsar yesterday that Keshav Prasad Maurya. he wanted to contest against The district Co-operative Badal from Lambi to defeat Bank chairperson and declared Foreign tourists in traditional Rajasthani attire take selfies during the International Camel Festival in Bikaner in the desert state yesterday. the Akali Dal patron whom he SP candidate for the Khairagarh blamed for the “ruin of Punjab”. assembly seat, Pakshalika Singh, “I want to fi ght the chief min- also joined the BJP, expressing ister on his home turf of Lambi as his faith in the party policies and I want to defeat all the top Akali Prime Minister Narendra Modi. leaders responsible for destroy- Meanwhile, the Akhilesh Yadav ing the state through their drugs, faction seems to be inching closer mafi a and goonda raj, and who to sealing a deal with the Con- are guilty of ruining its trade, in- gress, even as the Election Com- dustry and agriculture,” he said. mission is yet to decide on the fate Amarinder said he had re- of the SP and its symbol cycle. PM bigger brand than quested the Congress high com- While speculation about a mand to allow him to fi ght the pre-poll alliance has been in the assembly polls from Lambi so air for some time, hoardings of that he could “free Punjab from Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav, who the vicious and destructive rule is Akhilesh’s wife, along with of the Badals”. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have Akali Dal president Sukhbir come up in Allahabad - fuelling Mahatma, says minister Singh Badal asked Amarinder “to the speculation. The hoardings take quick permission” to contest with pictures of both women Haryana minister sparks new sonality cult creation at the cost the comment saying his “views picture was pasted on the (cur- on a simple charkha, wearing his from Lambi “before the nomination fi guring prominently have been controversy over the Father of even defaming the Father of the could be personal”. rency) note, the note got deval- trademark loin cloth. fi ling process comes to an end”. put up by Congress workers Anil of the Nation Nation. This is a fascist mindset Vij, Haryana’s health and ued. It is good that they (KVIC) The opposition Nationalist Describing the development Chowdhary and Irshad Ullah. and propaganda,” said Congress sports minister later tweeted: removed Gandhi’s photo and Congress Party (NCP) demand- as “pathetic and last-ditch at- Ullah, who is general secretary IANS spokesman Sanjay Jha. “The comments on Mahatma put Modi’s. Modi is a much ed withdrawal of the calendar tempt by a failed king to stem the of the district Congress commit- Chandigarh/Amabala Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Gandhi are personal. I am with- better brand. Khadi sales have and diary. rot in his sinking ship”, Sukhbir tee in Allahabad, says the work- Janata Party came under attack drawing this so that it does not increased by 14% after putting The great-grandson of Ma- Badal, who is also the deputy ers want this tie-up to happen a day earlier after Mahatma’s hurt anyone’s sentiments.” Modi’s photo,” he said. hatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, chief minister, said: “Amarinder at the earliest as this would not Haryana minister yes- photo was replaced with that of However, he did not off er any Asked why Mahatma’s photo- also attacked Modi in a series of had been resorting to cheap the- only consolidate woman power terday said Prime Minis- the prime minister in the Khadi apology. graphs were still printed on new tweets. atrics since the last few months, but also prevent division of Mus- Ater Narendra Modi was a and Village Industries Commis- Vij said from the time Ma- currency notes issued under Demanding that a new set of including false promises of a lim vote. This will stop the BJP “bigger brand” than Mahatma sion (KVIC) calendar. hatma Gandhi’s name was asso- the Modi government, Vij said: KVIC calendars and diaries be farm loan waiver which had not from coming to power, he says. Gandhi but later retracted his However Vij, who is known ciated with Khadi (movement), “They will be removed slowly.” printed with Mahatma Gandhi’s been refl ected in the party’s There are many votaries who statement coming under severe for his controversial comments, it had failed. “Gandhi’s name is Haryana Chief Minister Mano- photos, NCP Mumbai president manifesto, and the development favour the Congress and the criticism. including on the BJP and its not patented with Khadi.” har Lal Khattar also distanced Sachin Ahir said: “The NCP that he had asked for permission Akhilesh faction to come togeth- Congress hit out at Anil Vij leadership, said yesterday that “It’s good that Modi’s photo himself from Vij’s comments. strongly condemns this blatant to contest against Parkash Singh er. Sources say, Akhilesh Yadav saying his comment was “repre- now Gandhi’s picture would replaced that of Gandhi’s in the The controversy started with act and demands an apology Badal was another ploy to gain has propped up his wife to nego- hensible and also defames Ma- also be removed from currency calendar,” Vij said. Modi’s picture spinning the from the PM. These calendars cheap publicity.” tiate with Priyanka Gandhi while hatma Gandhi”. notes. The minister did not stop charkha appeared on the cover and diaries must be withdrawn The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he is working the wires with “Anil Vij’s comment is repre- While the Congress slammed there. page of the KVIC calendar and immediately and printed afresh which is posing a serious chal- Congress vice president Rahul hensible because it goes to tell you the mindset of the BJP minister, “Mahatma Gandhi’s name diary, instead of the iconic pic- with the pictures of the Father lenge to the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Gandhi and his team. that the BJP is indulging in a per- the party distanced itself from is such that from the day his ture of Gandhi weaving Khadi of the Nation.”

DJ Guetta’s Mumbai 19 die as boat carrying concert gets go-ahead revellers sinks in Bihar But hours later Sunburn and AFP Mumbai police managed to iron out their Agencies ranti by Bihar’s Tourism Depart- by Hindus, who gather there at diff erences, paving the way for a Patna ment when it sank around 6pm. this time of the year to take a holy performance today afternoon in Rescue operations were ham- dip at the confl uence of the Gan- rench DJ David Guetta will Mumbai that will be followed by pered since it was already dark ges and the Bay of Bengal. take the stage in Mumbai another show in New Delhi in the t least 19 people died yes- by then. The Ganga Sagar Mela is rated Ftoday, organisers said, a evening, the organisers said late terday after a boat car- Meanwhile over 1.5mn people as the second largest assembly day after his fans were left de- Friday. Arying some 40 revellers from across India and abroad of people after the quadrennial fl ated when authorities can- “David Guetta will be doing returning from a kite festival braved the icy cold water and Kumbha Mela (fair). celled his show over logistics and two shows on Sunday in two dif- capsised in the Ganges river in chilly winds to take a holy dip in “The attendance was rela- security issues. ferent cities. We are complying Bihar, police said. the river at the annual Gangasa- tively higher this year as a lot of The Grammy-award win- with all the regulatory require- “We can confi rm that 19 peo- gar Fair on Sagar Island in West fairs that are otherwise arranged ning dance music producer was ments as prescribed by the au- ple have died. Rescue operations Bengal on Makar Sankranti. at this time of the year could not scheduled to perform in Mumbai thorities,” they said in a state- are on to fi nd those still missing,” “Almost 16 lakh people be properly organised amid the on Friday as part of a four-city ment posted on Twitter. Manu Maharaj, senior police su- bathed at Sagar since morn- cash crisis. India tour. “The existing Mumbai tick- perintendent, said. ing, far surpassing the attend- “The administration has taken But police abruptly called off ets will be valid for the show on The bodies of 17 passengers ance last year. Lakhs took the necessary measures to tackle the the concert, saying organisers Sunday.” have been recovered, while eight holy dip on Friday evening as large crowd,” Mukherjee said. had not complied with certain The 49-year-old musician people are being treated at the well. The fair has been a huge Makar Sankranti was also cel- formalities and had not shared was supposed to kick off his India Patna Medical College and Hos- success,” Panchayat and Public ebrated by people in the Telugu their security plan with offi- tour in the IT hub of Bengaluru pital, district offi cials said. Health Engineering Minister states of Andhra Pradesh and Te- cials. Bangalore on Thursday but au- According to eyewitnesses, the Subrata Mukherjee said. langana The Mumbai-based promoter thorities cancelled the gig, say- overcrowded boat was returning The island, about 150km from The day was also celebrated as A man stands on a water tanker to look for his family as people Sunburn confi rmed the cancel- ing it clashed with a local elec- from the kite fl ying festival, or- Kolkata in South 24 Parganas Pongal in Tamil Nadu, and Magh arrive to take a holy bath and perform rituals on Gangasagar Island, lation as fans started gathering tion and that security would be ganised as part of Makar Sank- district, is considered auspicious Bihu in Assam. around 150km south of Kolkata yesterday. outside the concert venue. a problem. Gulf Times 18 Sunday, January 15, 2017 LATIN AMERICA Mexicans concerned Mexico may give over food price hike

By Ana Isabel Martinez, Reuters Trump a ‘taste’ Mexico City exicans who already feel the pinch from Ma gasoline price hike share economists fears it will now drive up the cost of food and other basics, adding to the unpopularity of the govern- of own medicine ment ahead of elections this year and next. DPA/Reuters Riots that broke out after Mexico City a 14% increase in regular gas prices on January 1 also refl ect- People queue to buy tortillas outside Granada market in Mexico ed anger at President Enrique City. exican economy min- Pena Nieto over corruption, ister Ildefonso Gua- crime and the failure of reforms last year, daily newspaper El Latin America’s No. 2 economy Mjardo has said that he to improve living standards. Universal said. amid uneven demand for ex- is preparing for any future ne- More increases in fuel prices “Really, I do not see a good ports to the United States. gotiations with Donald Trump are slated for February as the outlook. People are really mad,” Consumer prices will rise by by studying the US president- government phases out subsi- Hernandez said. “I don’t think 1.61% in early January following elect’s own book. dies, but Pena Nieto vowed he there is going to be any benefi t the gasoline hike, according to Guajardo told broadcaster Tel- would keep a lid on other con- or that prices will remain the analysts at Banamex. evisa that he has been reading sumer prices, and the central same, I think they are going to That would be the highest Trump’s 1987 book The Art of the bank said any spike in infl ation have to go up.” month-on-month jump in 17 Deal. would be temporary. A bigger jump in tortilla pric- years. Trump has said that he would In Mexico City’s Granada es sparked protests in 2007. Infl ation data for early Janu- like to renegotiate or even rescind market this week, few gave cre- “Providers have to raise pric- ary is due January 24. the North American Free Trade dence to such reassurances, a es because of the gasoline,” said Morgan Stanley in a note on Agreement (Nafta). sign of the risk for the ruling In- trader Florentino Aguilar as he Friday revised its outlook for “One of the suggestions in stitutional Revolutionary Party chopped raw chicken at another infl ation this year from 3.9% to Trump’s book is: never sit down in governor elections this year market. “That aff ects me be- 5.1%, which would be the high- at the negotiating table unless and the 2018 presidential vote. cause I don’t want to drastically est since 2008. you have some means of exerting “I don’t believe the president jump to a high price because Morgan Stanley said the in- pressure,” Guajardo said, adding at all,” said housewife Fabiola people get frightened.” fl ation could strengthen popu- that he would take this advice to Hernandez as she left a market Infl ation is also fanned higher list candidates, although the heart in any Nafta discussion. with corn tortillas from a shop by a record slump in the peso on measure would help improve “We are the second-largest that had just raised prices by fears US President-elect Don- government fi nances. buyer of US products,” he said. Guajardo: One of the suggestions in Trump’s book is: never sit down at the negotiating table unless you one Mexican peso ($0.05) fol- ald Trump could crimp trade Pena Nieto’s popularity sank “We are the biggest customers have some means of exerting pressure. lowing the gasoline hike. with Mexico. to 24% in one November poll, for pork, corn and fructose. All The head of Mexico’s tor- Analysts say the peso could the lowest since he took offi ce the states that voted for Trump on Mexican television. “And it is munications sectors expected to United States ... and employs tilla association said prices for a fall further if Trump slaps a in 2012. would be the hardest hit if the very clear how – take a fi scal ac- more than make up for the loss of more than 130,000 Americans. If kilo of the fl at corn patties that threatened tax on exports from On Friday, opposition law- agreement with Mexico is bro- tion that clearly neutralises it.” a planned $1.6bn Ford Motor fac- I were Mr Trump, I’d treat them are staple to the Mexican diet Mexico. makers blasted government ken.” Trump has repeatedly attacked tory that the company said this with more respect,” Guajardo would rise by between one and Higher consumer prices offi cials for implementing the The minister is quite open to Mexico over trade, jobs and im- month it is cancelling. said. three pesos this month above could hurt consumer demand, hike without reigning in spend- one reform of the Nafta treaty. migration since he fi rst launched Trump had strongly criticised He added that he expects total prices of 10 to 16 pesos per kilo which has supported growth in ing. “The agreement must be mod- his run for the White House in the plan, but Ford said its deci- foreign direct investment during ifi ed to benefi t Mexico. Balance 2015, driving the peso currency sion was not the result of pres- the six-year term of President is fundamental. All the parties to historic lows and unnerving sure from Trump. Enrique Pena Nieto, which ends must benefi t from the agree- investors, especially in the auto Guajardo also praised the in late 2018, to average $30bn an- Colombia, ELN preliminary peace ment,” he said. sector. government of Japan and Toy- nually. talks set to begin in Ecuador Trump, who takes offi ce on Guajardo said that Trump’s ota Motor Corporation for Guajardo has previously Colombia January 20, has promised a “ma- proposed tax “was a problem their “reasonable” response to warned that US corporate tax The Colombian government and representatives from the National jor border tax” on companies for the entire world” and that it Trump’s threat to impose a sig- cuts proposed by Trump, as well Liberation Army (ELN) guerilla group have agreed at a meeting in that shift jobs outside the United “would have a wave of impacts nifi cant border tax if the com- as the border tax, could under- Ecuador to hold preliminary peace talks. peace States, and such a measure could that could take us into a global pany does not stop making its mine foreign investment in Latin An initial meeting on Friday was “short, but very positive”, ELN hobble Mexico’s exports to its top recession”. Corolla model in Mexico for the America’s No. 2 economy. broadcaster Ranpal wrote on Twitter. trading partner. Nonetheless, the minister said US market. Mexico slapped a tax on US The talks’ objective is to establish a definitive date for the opening institute “It is clear we need to be pre- he expected foreign direct in- Toyota said last week the auto- high fructose corn syrup in the of formal dialogue to end the armed conflict between Colombia and pared to immediately neutralise vestment in Mexico this year to maker has no immediate plans to early 2000s after the United the left-wing guerrilla group. the impact of such a measure,” total around $25bn, with invest- curb production in Mexico. States refused to allow free trade The beginning of formal talks is subject to the release of former launched Guajardo said in the interview ment in the energy and telecom- “Toyota has 10 plants in the in Mexican sugar. congressman Odin Sanchez, now held captive by the ELN.

DPA Bogota

Codelco chairman injured after receiving exploding package erman Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Glaunched the German- Reuters Chile, which returned to de- Colombian Peace Institute in Santiago mocracy in 1990 after a 17-year Bogota on Friday, which is to as- dictatorship, is normally one sist with reconciliation eff orts of Latin America’s most stable following decades of civil war in he chairman of Codelco, countries. the South American country. Chile’s state-run copper However, there have been a At an opening ceremony, Tminer, was being treated number of low-level attacks by Steinmeier said that Germany in the hospital for minor injuries anarchist groups in recent years. would accompany the peace after receiving a package that In September 2014 several process. exploded at his residence on Fri- people were injured after a de- “You have a partner in Ger- day. vice exploded next to a metro many, a partner for peace,” he Oscar Landerretche “is in a station. added. good state of health after being a Landerretche is a 44-year-old The institute wants to support victim today of the explosion of economist who has led Codel- Masters and PhD programmes an artefact that he received at his co’s board, a government-ap- in Colombia in order to provide home”, said Codelco, the world’s pointed position, for the last two knowledge about transdiscipli- largest copper miner. years. nary reconciliation studies to Chilean President Michelle The miner is part-way Colombian students. Bachelet said in comments to through an ambitious invest- Landerretche: injured. Conferences and research journalists that Landerretche ment programme but has strug- projects are already in the plan- had received some injuries on his gled to turn a profi t against a this kind of act,” said Codelco ning stage in co-operation with arms and abdomen, and that his backdrop of low global copper union leader Raimundo Espino- German and Colombian univer- family had been unhurt. prices. za. sities. “This was unacceptable and Copper industry workers said “I don’t think Oscar is the kind The institute which is to re- of course specialist police forces he was well respected and they of person who has enemies,” ceive an annual subsidy of are investigating,” she said. were baffl ed as to the reason be- said copper mining veteran and €400,000 ($425,000) from Ber- It was not immediately clear hind the attack. former Codelco chief executive lin is to offi cially start work later who was behind the attack. “We copper workers reject Diego Hernandez to CNN Chile. Police off icers stand guard near the Landerretche’s residence in Santiago’s La Reina municipality. this year. Castro meets US Chamber of Commerce president

Reuters Donohue and Castro discussed US trade embargo for decades through bilateral agreements and Havana “issues of mutual interest”. and is a strong supporter of the commercial links, since Trump’s “The goal of the US business normalisation process begun by election in November. community has shifted from President Barack Obama. Cuba agreed earlier this month he head of the US Chamber seeking more from Cuba to pre- That process has included the to export charcoal to the United of Commerce has met Cu- serving what exists from the signing of 17 agreements be- States, the fi rst export in half a Tban President Raul Castro soon-to-be Trump administra- tween the two former Cold War century, and in December Google and in separate meetings with tion,” John Kavulich, president foes and the use of executive or- reached an agreement to place members of Castro’s economic of the US-Cuba Trade and Eco- ders to punch holes in the em- servers on the island to quicken cabinet as they prepare for the nomic Council, said. bargo, which can be lifted only by access to its products. advent of a more hostile Trump “US companies need the Cu- the US Congress, now controlled Trump has said he will dis- administration next week. ban government to quickly and by Republicans. mantle the still-fragile detente The chamber has been urging substantially expand its pur- Travel to the Communist-run unless Cuba gives the United the Cuban government to sign a chases of products and services Caribbean island from the Unit- States a better deal, while pro- number of agreements with ma- and permit a highly visible pres- ed States has increased, with the viding no specifi cs. jor companies such as General ence of companies,” he said. start of direct fl ights and cruises Trump is expected to review Electric, negotiated over the last Donohue was accompanied by and roaming agreements signed, Cuba policy upon taking offi ce 18 months, before President- Maurice Greenberg, chairman but there have been no manufac- and has named Jason Greenblatt, elect Donald Trump takes offi ce and chief executive offi cer of CV turing or trade deals inked. a Trump Organisation executive on January 20. Starr & Co Incorporated, a major Cuba and the Obama admin- and chief legal counsel, as nego- A brief government statement US insurance company. istration have been scrambling to tiator for sensitive international Tourists take pictures near the Capitol Building in Havana. said chamber president Thomas The chamber has opposed the deepen and cement their detente, issues, including Cuba. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 19 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Gen Raheel to US to off er incentives to Pakistan ‘for co-operation’ speak at World

Internews groups that operate within its bor- neighbouring countries. kistan, including our military- Mattis said that Pakistan had this counterinsurgency effort,” Economic Forum Islamabad ders,” Mattis told the committee As often expressed by the to-military relationship, has “learned some hard lessons” he said, and offered to help Pa- while responding to a question. Obama administration offi cials, had highs and lows. We have from its dealings with the Tali- kistan in defeating these mili- Mattis, a general who retired the incoming defence secretary long faced a lack of trust with- ban, as this caused widespread tants. Internews S defence secretary-des- from the US Marine Corps in also complained that some Af- in the Pakistani military and violence inside the country as Mattis said he would not use Islamabad ignate James Mattis has 2013, has long experience of ghan Taliban groups were still government about our goals in well. phrases such as “rebalance” or Usaid that the Trump ad- dealing with both Afghanistan allegedly using Pakistan’s tribal the region. If confirmed, I will “I believe they should do more “pivot” while talking about its ministration would off er incen- and Pakistan, fi rst as a combat areas for stirring troubles in Af- work to build the trust that we to collaborate with their neigh- relations with China as these ormer Pakistani army tives to Pakistan to co-operate offi cer and then as commander ghanistan. need for an effective partner- bour. We should urge Pakistan to implied that it was turning away chief General (retd) Ra- with the United States on critical of the US Central Command. “Sanctuaries and freedom of ship,” he told the Senate Com- take further actions against the from its commitments else- Fheel Sharif will speak at issues. He was known in the armed movement for the Afghan Tali- mittee. Taliban and the Haqqani net- where. the four-day annual meeting of At his confi rmation hearing at forces as “Mad Dog Mattis” ban and associated militant net- work,” he added. “But China’s behaviour has World Economic Forum in Dav- the Senate Armed Forces Com- for his aggressive style but was works inside Pakistani territory “Sanctuaries and Arguing that countries in the led countries in the region to os-Klosters, Switzerland. mittee on Thursday afternoon, widely respected as a courageous is a key operational issue faced freedom of movement region “have the responsibil- look for stronger US leadership. The ex-chief of army staff Mattis underlined the need to offi cer. by the Afghan security forces,” for the Afghan Taliban ity to support the reconciliation If confi rmed, I will examine (COAS) will discuss security is- stay engaged with Pakistan while The general’s comments on he pointed out. and associated militant process” in Afghanistan, Mattis ways to strengthen our allies and sues reshaping global agenda asking it to do more to eradicate Pakistan indicate that the in- Mattis said that if confi rmed, networks inside Pakistani said that the neighbouring states partners, while taking a careful and highlight developing oppor- terrorism from the region. coming Trump administration he would “examine eff orts to territory is a key “should increase pressure on the look at our own military capa- tunities in South Asia under the “If confi rmed, I will work with will continue with the existing deny sanctuary to the extremist operational issue faced by Afghan Taliban and associated bilities in the region,” he said. $55bn China Pakistan Economic the State Department and the US policy towards the country. forces” undermining the stabil- the Afghan security forces” militant networks” to stop their Mattis pledged to continue Corridor (CPEC) project. Congress to incentivise Pakistan’s Mattis complimented Pa- ity and security of Afghanistan. campaigns of violence. with the Obama administra- Gen Raheel, who retired in co-operation on issues critical kistan for its action against He noted that the US and Pa- The United States has con- He praised Pakistan’s efforts tion’s policy of enhancing a November last year, would also to our national interests and the terror groups in the country, kistani militaries had a long re- ducted military exercises with to battle “internally-focused” long-term strategic relationship highlight Pakistan Army’s coun- region’s security, with focus on but said that he would push lationship, which needed to be Pakistan in an eff ort to increase militants. “In a sign of its com- with India, based on the conver- ter insurgency operations and Pakistan’s need to expel or neu- for more effective targeting rebuilt. thrust and interoperability, he mitment, its military has suf- gence of mutual interests and improved security environment tralise externally-focused militant of groups that were aimed at “Our relationship with Pa- added. fered significant casualties in shared democratic values. in the country as well as in the region. The annual WEF meetings will start from November 17 and continue for four days. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is also expected to attend the event. Gen Raheel will address three sessions of the WEF in addition Courts with to speaking at as many events arranged on the sidelines of the sessions. This includes a dinner by Mu- nich Security Conference. The WEF’s 47th Annual Meet- ing represents the largest and secret judges most diverse meeting of leaders from all stakeholder groups. Priorities of the annual meet- ing are strengthening global growth, reforming market capi- talism, preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and re- planned imagining global cooperation. This year the theme of the Internews through the 21st Constitutional courts, the PPP in its meeting on meeting is Responsive and Re- Islamabad Amendment, have expired on Thursday decided to oppose the sponsible Leadership and over January 7 as the constitutional reconstitution of military courts half of the programme’s 400 amendment had envisaged only tooth and nail. sessions will address strategies n case the ruling of Pakistan two-year life for these tribunals. Media reports suggest that for fostering greater social inclu- PML-N fails to achieve a po- The military courts were con- there is a consensus within the sion and human development. Ilitical consensus to win a new stituted in the fi rst week of 2015 party that the PPP will not sup- A record 3,000 participants, life for the recently-abolished following the December 2014 port the proposal for the recon- A Pakistani passenger sits in an autorickshaw while crossing a flooded street after heavy rain in coming from all continents, are military courts, the government Army Public School attack. stitution of military courts. Karachi yesterday. attending the event this year. is considering setting up courts Most of the political parties It is said that even former The former army chief’s ses- for trial of terrorism cases with were primarily against the set- president and President Pa- sion on global security will ad- secret judges and prosecutors. ting up of military courts but kistan People’s Party- Parlia- dress various dimensions in- Offi cial sources said that there they had to accept it as a “bitter mentarians Asif Ali Zardari has cluding noteworthy changes and is a proposal to have such courts pill” because of the failure of the directed PPP leaders to oppose Untimely rains predicted in emerging trends reshaping the in order to encourage them to criminal justice system to eff ec- the move and take a hard stance international security agenda. speedily decide terrorism cases tively try and punish terrorists. in the upcoming meeting of the The recalibration of US secu- without any fear. Following the lapse of 21st heads of the parliamentary com- rity priorities, geostrategic shifts The proposal, which has been Amendment, the government mittee, which was summoned by Pakistan due to climate change and future confl ict domains will recently fi rmed up, ensures that decided to re-approach the po- the Speaker National Assembly also be explored. no one would have any idea about litical parties for yet another on January 17. Chairman King Faisal Centre the identity of both the judge and constitutional amendment un- A cabinet minister in the Na- Internews 4 killed in Karachi over the prevailing scenarios,” for Research and Islamic Stud- prosecutors of these courts. der which the military courts waz government, when contact- Islamabad he said. ies, Saudi Arabia Turki al-Faisal These courts will be set up, could have a new life to try terror ed, still sounded optimistic that At least four people were The weatherman said the al-Saud and German defence according to the proposal, with suspects. the opposition including the PPP killed in rain-related incidents PMD research indicated that minister Ursula von der Von the merger of the existing Anti- Speaker National Assembly may agree to the revival of mili- he Pakistan Meteorolog- when Pakistan’s port city temperatures in agricultural der Leyen are other prominent Terrorist Act and the recently- has already held a meeting with tary courts in the best public in- ical Department (PMD) of Karachi received its first plains had risen over the last speakers. lapsed Protection of Pakistan leaders of diff erent political par- terest. Thas warned of ill-timed winter showers that brought 60 years and the increase in the Robin Niblett, Director, Act (POPA) 2014. ties, having representation in However, in case of failure, rains in the country in future down the temperature by 3 recent two decades was higher Chatham House, United King- It is believed that unless the parliament, but some of them the government intends to push due to climate change, saying degrees Celsius, according than the previous. dom, will moderate the session. protection of judges and pros- including the PPP, JI and JUI(F) its proposal for making a new they will threaten crops. to off icials yesterday. Many He also said the rate of in- Another session Gen Raheel ecutors involved in the trial of have serious reservations. law with the merger of Anti- “The future projections indi- parts of the city experienced crease of night temperatures will address is ‘Terrorism in the terrorism cases is ensured, there Although, the speaker expects Terrorist Act and Protection of cate that there will be no signif- power outages due to the rain was greater that the increase Digital Age’. can’t be speedy and fair trial of all these parties to meet again Pakistan Act for setting up of icant change in rainfall amount while traff ic congestion was noticed in daytime tempera- terror suspects. on January 17th to evolve a con- anti-terrorism courts with se- due to climate change but its witnessed on several roads, tures. The military courts, set up sensus for the revival of military cret judges and prosecutors. temporal and spatial distribu- Dawn news reported. Several The offi cial said experts Five killed as tion will be highly infl uenced electricity feeders tripped as identifi ed that increase in the due to climate change. soon as the city received rain, minimum temperature was re- truck rams into Concern over ‘nexus’ between Indian, Afghan spy agencies It means that untimely rains causing power outages. sponsible for the decline in rice Pakistan school may threaten the crop produc- yield as it reversed the grain Pakistan has expressed concern In May 2015, the spy agencies of against any other country. tion in future increasing losses production process. over the “nexus” between the Pakistan and Afghanistan signed He instead blamed Afghanistan at maturity stage,” a PMD of- development. He added that the untimely At least four students and a Afghan spy agency and India’s an agreement on intelligence saying it was “infested” with a fi cial said referring to a recent The offi cial said the research rains have signifi cantly im- teacher were killed and 30 other Research and Analysis Wing, sharing and co-ordinated opera- number of terrorist organisations research. showed that high temperatures pacted the crop production es- girls injured after a truck ran into saying that foreign elements were tions. Islamabad has earlier too due to its instability. The weatherman said the coupled with abnormally wet pecially rains at the time of har- a girls school in Pakistani side of exploiting the already worsening alleged that Indian and Afghan This, he added, created space temperatures were likely to summer climatic conditions in vesting and threshing caused Kashmir on Friday, local media situation in the country. intelligence agencies support ter- for terrorist elements such as increase at the rate 0.4c per cotton zone could help patho- pre-and post harvest losses. reported. The truck carrying flour “The activities of Indian spy agen- rorism in Pakistan. Haqqani network’s leadership, decade in agricultural plains gens grow to hamper good crop “Abnormally wet weather bags lost control and skided off cy RAW and its nexus with Afghan Zakaria rejected allegations that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the of Punjab and Sindh and thus yields. conditions at critical stages of the road and rammed into the agency NDS (National Directorate Pakistan was giving safe haven to Islamic State, and Al Qaeda. ultimately increasing water re- “The scientists say in the ab- crop growth and development school located in Bagh district of of Security) remain a matter of terror networks in the Federally “It is, therefore, not appropriate to quirement of crops. sence of adaptation measures, promoted the growth of insects Kashmir, the police said, adding deep concern for Pakistan,” For- Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), blame others for the adversities He added that the hot the anticipated losses and un- and pest which reduced the that the girls and teachers were eign Off ice spokesperson Nafees saying the country does not allow due to the deteriorating security weather conditions could certainty in crop production quantity and quality of yield,” outside their classroom when the Zakaria said in a news briefing. its territory to be used for attacks situation in Afghanistan,” he said. retard the crops’ growth and will be magnifi ed many times he said. truck ran over them. How doctors and clinics colluded in baby racket

A lengthy police covering following the birth, agony searching for the missing A telephone call from one of said. “That is how we reached most all of them were settled in stealing infants. investigation uncovers a the newborn baby was taken to boy since he disappeared. the kidnappers had triggered the the entire network.” good families. Zulfi kar Babakhel, the spokes- black market for childless a hospital in the north-western Orakzai is not the only investigation, which has lasted Explaining graphic details of Tracing the real parents would man for Peshawar’s Lady Ready couples in which doctors and city of Peshawar suff ering from mother in the north-western more than two years and in- the crime, the offi cer said gy- often have been diffi cult, even Hospital, clinics took part in the theft jaundice. Pakistani province of Khyber- volved several agencies. naecologists in the gang would with DNA testing, because clin- said clinics have been issued and sale of newborn babies Within hours, the family heard Pakhtunkhwa to have lost her conduct illegal late-pregnancy ics either did not have records or fresh guidelines to tighten security the news that still haunts the newborn baby this way recently. “Had he died and we buried abortions. were already closed. and improve safety arrangements DPA mother. The baby, just three days There are hundreds of known him, I would have gone to Whenever there was another “It would have opened a huge including installing surveillance Peshawar old, had gone missing from his cases being investigated by in- his grave, shed tears and birth at the same clinic around task, which we might have never cameras. hospital bed before treatment telligence and security agencies, vent myself...that would the same time, they would hand been able to complete,” Habib Mohamed Jehangir, a doctor had begun. said police offi cial Malik Habib, have been easier. But now...” over the dead foetus to the par- said. at the hospital, said the wrists usrat Khela Orakzai was “Had he died and we buried who is leading the probe. ents and keep their child to be Rizwan Khan, an Islamabad- and legs of newborns were now delighted when she gave him, I would have gone to his After months of investiga- Police kept many suspects sold to customers. based lawyer, said a lengthy tagged. Nbirth to a second baby grave, shed tears and vent my- tory work, police busted a gang under observation for several The parents would never re- adoption procedure was one They are also kept under sur- boy. self...that would have been eas- of doctors, medics and criminals months and conducted under- alise the baby they thought was reason childless couples found veillance, with only a few mem- The Pakistani mother in her ier. But now...” who had been stealing babies cover operations before raiding stillborn was not their own. it convenient to buy a baby from bers of the staff allowed inside 30s thought her family was com- Orakzai says, breaking into from clinics and selling them to their premises, Habib said. A baby boy, who could fetch up the black market. the nurseries. plete now that she had two sons tears before completing her sen- childless couples. Policewomen from the special to $7,000, was prized; baby girls “It’s too complicated and the For Orakzai, hope remains and as many daughters. tence. “They were running a black crime branch contacted clinics were sold for as much as $3,000. wait is too long,” Khan said. “If that one day her lost child will Her husband agreed. “There hasn’t been a moment market of newborns, selling in the guise of pregnant women After the arrests, police iden- you apply to adopt a kid today, you return. But the joy for the young cou- in a year-and-a-half when I for- them like a commodity,” Habib seeking abortions, a practice tifi ed hundreds of children who would probably get one in 20 years.” She is now suff ering from dia- ple from the country’s tribal get him,” she continues. “I didn’t said. banned in Pakistan. had been sold to childless cou- The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa betes caused by prolonged de- region on the Afghan border even see him properly before he Authorities traced a baby girl, And intelligence offi cers pre- ples. health department has also pression, which has also weak- proved short-lived. was taken to hospital.” who went missing from a clinic in tended to be childless fathers Authorities decided not to raided several maternity homes ened her eyesight. But her eyes While Orakzai was still re- The family has been through the capital Islamabad, to Peshawar. seeking to buy a child, Habib remove the children because al- on suspicion of involvement in are fi xed to the door. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, January 15, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Duterte criticised over ‘rights calamity’

By Michael Joe T Delizo Manila Times

n international watchdog has included President ARodrigo Duterte in a list of “populist” leaders that pose a threat to democracy, accusing him of fl outing the law and in- fl icting a “human rights calam- ity” in the Philippines. In a 704-page report review- ing human rights practices in more than 90 countries, Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted the wave of “unprecedented kill- ings” by police and vigilante groups under Duterte’s “war on drugs.” More than 6,200 drug sus- pects have been killed in police operations and by unidentifi ed gunmen since Duterte assumed offi ce six months ago. “In the name of wiping out ‘drug crime,’ President Duterte has steamrolled human rights protections and elevated unlaw- ful killings of criminal suspects to a cornerstone of government policy,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Captain Park Chung-Hung (left), a South Korean national, and 2nd officer Filipino Glenn Alindajao (second left), two hostages released in Jolo, arrive in Davao City with Philippine Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Asia director of HRW. Dureza (second right) yesterday. “Friends of the Philippines need to make clear that it can’t be business as usual until the kill- ings stop and there are meaning- ful moves toward accountability.” The report noted that Duterte considers the killings as proof of the “success” of his anti-drug campaign. Militants free South Korean, HRW Executive Director Ken- neth Roth warned of a “new gen- eration of authoritarian popu- lists” seeking to “overturn the concept of human rights protec- tions, treating rights as an im- pediment to the majority will.” Filipino hostages in south “Instead of accepting rights as protecting everyone, they privi- AFP fetched the freed hostages in 11,400-tonne heavy load car- dried fi sh and drinking water Abu Sayyaf militants be- the three neighbours to pledge lege the declared interests of the Jolo, Philippines Sulu, a remote archipelago rier Dong Bang Giant 2 occurred from brooks.” Dureza said the headed two Canadian hostages co-ordinated patrols. Dureza majority, encouraging people to known as a militant hideout, just off the southern entry of the rebel group the Moro National last year after demands for mil- said he would recommend that adopt the dangerous belief that and brought them to Davao, a Sibutu Passage, a 29-kilometre Liberation Front (MNLF), which lions of dollars were not met, ships have armed security. they will never themselves need South Korean captain city about 600 kilometres from wide channel used by merchant is in peace talks with the gov- and released a Norwegian man Duterte, who took offi ce last to assert rights against an over- and a Filipino crew- Sulu. shipping in transit between the ernment, helped in facilitating along with a number of Indo- year, vowed to destroy the Abu reaching government claiming A man abducted by sus- The two seafarers were beaten Pacifi c Ocean and the South the hostages’ release. nesian and Malaysian sailors Sayyaf and deployed thousands to act in their name,” he said. pected militants off the south- by their captors and forced to China Sea. The ship’s owners also ne- after ransoms were believed to of extra troops to defeat them. Apart from Duterte, the group ern Philippines were released sleep in the jungle while eating The cargo ship was heading gotiated for their freedom, be paid. But the militants have defi ed also expressed concern over the yesterday, authorities said, dried fi sh and drinking unclean for South Korea from Australia. according to Dureza, adding This week the group released more than a decade of similar populist leaderships of Don- ending a three-month ordeal water, Dureza said. The freed captives were fl own that he was not aware if a ran- a video showing an elderly Ger- US-backed off ensives, surviv- ald Trump in the United States, where they endured beatings “We were almost hopeless to the capital Manila yesterday som was paid to Abu Sayyaf, man sailor abducted at sea late ing in their mountainous and Vladimir Putin in Russia, Xi Jin- and hunger. but I am thankful we were able afternoon to undergo debriefi ng which does not normally free last year was alive. jungle-clad strongholds in the ping in China and Recep Tayyip The Philippine military said to come home safely,” Filipino and a medical examination. hostages without huge sums of The Abu Sayyaf began kid- poverty-plagued southern Phil- Erdogan in Turkey, among others. armed men identifying them- crewman Glenn Alindajao, 31, “They were physically mal- money. napping sailors in border waters ippines. “Meanwhile, strongman lead- selves as Abu Sayyaf militants said in a news briefi ng. treated without any provoca- The Abu Sayyaf is a loose net- between Malaysia, Indonesia “The two hostages even ers in Russia, Turkey, the Philip- kidnapped the pair from a South South Korean captain Park tion,” Dureza said. work of militants formed in the and the Philippines last year, planned to escape but they pines, and China have substi- Korean cargo ship in October Chung-Hung, 38, did not speak “They have been very 1990s with seed money from taking several dozen hostages. could not. They discovered that tuted their own authority, rather last year, the fi rst such attack on with reporters but like Alinda- stressed out. They were moved Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda The spike in abductions the community around is very than accountable government a large merchant vessel. jao, appeared weak and grew a from one place to another, network, and has earned mil- sparked Indonesian warnings supportive,” Dureza said. and the rule of law, as a guaran- Jesus Dureza, a senior aide beard while in captivity. sometimes sleeping in forests, lions of dollars from kidnap- that the region could become “They are able to benefi t from tor of prosperity and security,” it to President Rodrigo Duterte, The abduction on board the diff erent houses, eating just pings-for-ransom. the “next Somalia” and pushed (the kidnappings).” added.

Quake, typhoon-resilient school Rehabilitation programme buildings planned in Bicol

By Rhaydz B Barcia school buildings in Bicol that are resilient enough Manila Times/Legazpi City to withstand a typhoon with 300kph (kilometre per hour) strength. Villar said the current public infrastructure, he Department of Public Works and High- specifically public school buildings, can only ways (DPWH) will build the country’s fi rst withstand a 255-kph typhoon resulting in bigger Ttyphoon and earthquake proof public school damages here and putting the lives of evacuees in buildings to mitigate the eff ects of natural calami- great danger. ties and extreme weather disturbances. “The goal is not only to use the public school The fi rst of these will be constructed in the Bicol infrastructure for evacuation but also to build a region. lasting structure that is conducive for learning,” “For the fi rst time we will be building typhoon he said. and earthquake proof, resilient public school build- Villar flew to Bicol on Friday where he vis- ings in the country and it will be piloted in Bicol be- ited the provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur cause it is a disaster prone region,” Secretary Mark to check the status of rehabilitation efforts on Villar told Manila Times in an interview here. buildings and infrastructure destroyed by Ty- The DPWH allocates P1.2mn for a single public phoon “Nina”. school classroom but with the new master plan un- Earlier, the Department of Education in Bicol der the disaster mitigation chart, the budget will be released an initial report that revealed at least doubled, Villar said. P1.1bn damages to public school buildings based Participants work on diff erent religious figurines as part of a drug addiction rehabilitation programme in a Catholic church in Starting this year the department will be con- on the post assessment by the Regional Disaster Quezon city, Metro Manila yesterday. structing typhoon and earthquake proof public Risk Reduction Management Council here. Court clears former Nueva Ecija mayor over forgery

By Jomar Canlas Marriage of two couples in Jardeleza, the High Tribunal’s Certifi cate of Marriage of Manny doubt for the omission and sen- Tribunal held that “in ruling istrar, was the one who acted as Manila Times 2009. Third Division granted the peti- Asuncion and Dina Lumanlan, tenced him to imprisonment of that petitioner was not the one the solemnising offi cer, and not The SC acquitted Amado Cor- tion for review on certiorari Cor- and that of Alex Pascual and Es- up to eight years and fi ned him who solemnised the subject petitioner.” “It further consid- puz Jr for failure of the prosecu- puz fi led as it reversed and set peranza Arizabal, by certifying P5,000. marriages, the SB relied heav- ered the photos and photocop- he Supreme Court (SC) tion to prove the former mayor’s aside the decision of the Sandi- that it was he who solemnised The denial of his motion for ily on the testimonial evidence ies of the invitations presented has acquitted a former guilt beyond reasonable doubt. ganbayan in the two criminal their marriage when in truth, it reconsideration prompted Cor- of the prosecution’s witnesses, and off ered as additional proofs Tmayor of Cuyapo, Nue- In a decision penned by Asso- cases fi led against him. was Thelmo Corpuz Sr, the local puz to seek redress from the particularly on the common to establish the aforesaid in- va Ecija on charges of falsifi- ciate Justice Jose Portugal Perez Records of the case show that civil registrar. High Tribunal. fact that they all witnessed an cidents which show spouses cation of public documents and concurred in by Associate in October 2009, Corpuz sup- On February 27, 2014, the In its November 23, 2016 rul- alleged ceremony conducted Pascual and spouses Asuncion in connection with the al- Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr, posedly took advantage of his Sandiganbayan (SB) found Cor- ing which was released to the on the dates wherein Thelmo O standing in front of Thelmo,” leged forged Certificate of Bienvenido Perez and Francis offi cial position and falsifi ed the puz guilty beyond reasonable media only recently, the High Corpuz, Sr, the municipal reg- the verdict said. Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 21 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Lanka Bangladesh arrests another faces severe drought plotter behind cafe attack conditions AFP the police’s counter-terrorism Dhaka and transnational crime unit, said Alam was a close associ- IANS ate of Tamim Chowdhury, a Colombo angladesh police yester- Bangladeshi Canadian who was day said they have arrest- named as the primary architect Bed an Islamist extrem- of the cafe siege. everal districts in Sri ist accused of being one of the “(Alam) was notorious. He Lanka would face se- “masterminds” of last year’s led around two dozen attacks Svere drought condi- deadly siege at a Dhaka cafe on religious minorities outside tions in the coming three where 22 hostages were killed. the capital,” he said. weeks as very little rain was A police spokesman said Ja- Alam, 32, was present with expected, the country’s dis- hangir Alam was detained on Chowdhury at a Dhaka hideout aster management offi cials Friday night by counter-ter- where they planned and organ- have said. rorism forces in Elenga, a town ised the cafe attack, Hossain Disaster management of- some 120kms (63 miles) north added. fi cials were quoted by Xin- of the capital. The arrest comes a week af- hua news agency as saying “He is one of the main master- ter police killed two Islamist that at least 10,000 people minds of the Holey Artisan Bak- extremists including another were aff ected by the ongo- ery (cafe) attack,” Yusuf Ali, an plotter of the cafe siege in a ing drought, which, it called additional deputy commissioner shootout in Dhaka. Chowdhury “the worst drought in four of the Dhaka police force, said. was killed during a raid outside decades”. The numbers were “He was a member of a new the capital in August last year. expected to increase in the faction of Jamayetul Muja- The country’s security forces coming weeks. hideen Bangladesh (JMB) and launched a deadly crackdown Drinking water was dis- was directly involved in the against Islamist extremists fol- tributed in 17 districts to murder of at least 22 religious lowing the attack, which badly families who faced a severe minorities including Hindu undermined Bangladesh’s rep- water shortage and President priests and a Christian and utation as a relatively moderate Maithripala Sirisena said that foreigners (at the cafe),” he said. Muslim nation. the tri-forces were also de- Japanese and Italian diners Since the siege, security forc- Bangladesh police escort alleged militant Jahangir Alam, centre, in Dhaka yesterday, after his arrest in connection with an attack on the ployed to assist people in the were among the 18 foreigners es have killed around 50 Islamist Holey Artisan Bakery attack last year. aff ected areas. shot and hacked to death in the extremists, including most of Disaster Management attack on July 1 last year. the alleged leaders of Jamayetul of the gunmen who had posed have been claimed by IS or Al Critics say Hasina’s admin- Last August, US Secretary Minister Anura Yapa said the The siege lasted for 10 hours Mujahideen Bangladesh. with the group’s black fl ag. Qaeda, Prime Minister Sheikh istration is in denial about the of State John Kerry said dur- government was gearing up until army commandos, using However, the Islamic State Bangladesh is reeling from a Hasina’s secular government nature of the threat posed by ing a visit to Dhaka that there to deal with drought relief, armoured vehicles, stormed the (IS) organisation also claimed wave of attacks on foreigners, has blamed local militants, de- Islamist extremists and accuse was evidence to link the ex- including food and water compound. responsibility for the cafe at- rights activists and members of nying that international jihad- her of trying to exploit the at- tremists behind the recent but early conservation ef- Sanwar Hossain, an addi- tack, posting images of the car- religious minorities. ists have gained a foothold in tacks to demonise her domestic spate of deadly attacks in forts could help mitigate the tional deputy commissioner of nage as it happened and photos While many of those attacks Bangladesh. opponents. Bangladesh to IS. coming crisis. Myanmar seeks Malaysia to start hiring Bangladeshis repatriation of new By Mizan Rahman He said the ministry has cies, which have been selected workers between 2007 and 2008. sectors to avoid malpractices. Dhaka started processing work to ex- for handling the recruitment, After several attempts by the Under the agreement, about port manpower to Malaysia are ready for the much-awaited Bangladesh government, Malay- 1.5mn workers are likely to be from the next week, roughly 11 process,” said an offi cial at the sia agreed to recruit Bangladeshi sent to Malaysian in fi ve years Rohingya arrivals fter a hiatus of eight months after the signing of a manpower ministry. workers selecting Bangladesh to work in tree plantation, con- years, Malaysia is fi nally memorandum of understand- Sources at Bestinet, a Ma- as a source country for send- struction, service, agriculture Aset to recruit Bangladeshi ing (MoU) between the two laysian IT company that has ing workers. In 2013, Malaysia and manufacturing sectors. By Mizan Rahman fl ed from Myanmar follow- manpower from next week, ac- governments. developed the online system to signed an agreement for receiv- Malaysia, home to nearly 6mn Dhaka ing the October 9 attacks cording to offi cial sources. According to the sources, be- handle manpower recruitment ing workers from Bangladesh foreign workers, is already a key against police outposts. The Malaysian government sides requesting Bangladesh to from Bangladesh, also con- under the G2G mechanism. But, manpower market for Bangla- The Myanmar’s ministry has recently sent a letter con- start sending workers, the Ma- fi rmed that Malaysia has sent a the initiative failed as Bangla- deshi nationals – about 600,000 yanmar wants to of foreign aff airs released the veying that it is ready to recruit laysian government has also sent letter to Bangladesh requesting desh government could send are estimated to be in the coun- start consultations statement following the visit Bangladeshi workers under the a list of agencies they approved to initiate the process of sending only 8,000 workers. try, mostly working in the Mfor verifi cation and of the Minister of State for government-to-government of to carry out the recruitment workers. In February last year, the two plantation sector. repatriation of only those Foreign Aff airs Kyaw Tin to plus (G2G Plus) system, Expatri- process. The Malaysian govern- countries signed the G2G Plus Offi cials in Dhaka expect that ‘who are proved to have fl ed Bangladesh as a special envoy. ates’ Welfare and Overseas Em- “Probably, sending of workers ment stopped hiring Bangla- deal involving the recruiting the online process would reduce from Myanmar’ since October During the visit, Kyaw Tin ployment Minister Nurul Islam would start from next week as deshi workers in 2009 after agencies for selecting and send- the cost of sending workers to 9 last though Bangladesh de- met Prime Minister Sheikh told reporters. the Bangladeshi recruiting agen- experiencing infl ux of illegal ing workers to Malaysia in fi ve Malaysia. mands taking back all the doc- Hasina and Foreign Minister umented and undocumented AH Mahmood Ali. Myanmar nationals along with During the meetings, Bang- new arrivals. ladesh clearly conveyed to the Around 65,000 people fl ed Myanmar side to take back all Myanmar and entered Bangla- Myanmar nationals – docu- Lanka to raise $1.5bn through bonds desh since October 9 last and mented, undocumented and Nepal presses the infl ux is still on, accord- new arrivals as soon as possi- ri Lanka announced yes- The move to borrow locally ond tranche of the funds, said ing to offi cials at the foreign ble, according to Bangladesh’s terday it would raise came weeks after the Interna- Sri Lanka’s performance was ministry in Dhaka. foreign ministry. S$1.5bn through a domestic tional Monetary Fund (IMF) “broadly satisfactory” but that Quoting a statement of Bangladesh also proposed bond sale this year as it moves warned that the country’s for- it needed to build its dwindling the Myanmar ministry of a co-ordinated and holistic to rebuild its foreign exchange eign reserves were “below com- foreign reserves. for early end of foreign aff airs, its minis- approach to stop margin- reserves, AFP reports from fortable levels”. Foreign reserves at the end try of information posted alisation of Rakhine Muslims, Colombo. Last June the government, of December were $6.06bn, up a news report on its offi cial restore peace and stability in The cabinet approved the which came to power in January from $5.64bn a month earlier, website saying Myanmar Rakhine State ensuring their borrowing through dollar-de- 2015, received a $1.5bn bailout according to government data. and Bangladesh have to livelihoods so that Myanmar nominated bonds to be off ered to from the IMF after facing a bal- Sri Lanka also secured in De- currency woes start consultations for veri- nationals living in Bangla- banks and investors in the coun- ance of payments crisis. cember a three year $1.34bn loan fi cation and repatriation of desh feel encouraged to return try, said government spokesman The IMF, in a November re- from the World Bank to fund a those who are proved to have home. Gayantha Karunatileka. view before releasing the sec- range of projects. Agencies by Deputy Governor of Nepal New Delhi Rastra Bank. He hoped that both sides will be able to come Pakistan’s trade to a positive conclusion at the epal has said its peo- earliest. expo opens Tamil festival ple were facing a lot Indian currency is widely in Colombo Nof hardship due to In- accepted in Nepal and Bhutan. dia’s demonetisation decision Assuring that the issue will Sri Lanka and Pakistan have as high-value India currency be resolved soon, the Indian inaugurated a mega trade expo in notes were in large circula- government had set up a task Colombo to strengthen economic tion and failure to resolve the force to facilitate exchange of and trade ties between the two problem soon may erode their currency notes in Nepal. countries. faith in Indian government’s The trade expo, the largest-ever assurances. “I am requesting the of its kind, organised by Pakistan A Nepalese delegation com- Indian government, outside the country, has seen the prising top offi cials of Nepal’s please resolve it as early participation of 156 companies. fi nance and foreign ministries as possible ... otherwise Speaking at the inauguration, as well as Nepal Rastra Bank people may lose their Pakistan high commissioner (NRB) is currently holding faith in the Government Syed Shakeel Hussain said the talks with the Reserve Bank of Nepal and naturally event should work as a catalyst of India (RBI) and concerned in Government of India for synergising deeper economic Indian agencies to thrash out too” relations between the two a solution to the problem, countries. Nepalese ambassador Deep Nepal last year allowed peo- He urged the Sri Lankan Kumar Upadhyay said. ple to carry Indian rupees of government to explore Pakistan “People in Nepal are fac- higher denominations up to as a market for Sri Lankan goods ing lot of diffi culties. They are Indian Rs25,000. and services. worried. I have pursued the A ban was in eff ect in Nepal Sri Lanka’s Minister for Plantation issue at all levels including at till last year against the use of Industries, Navin Dissanayake, the diplomatic level. I hope it Rs500 and Rs1,000 denomi- said that the importance of will be solved soon. nations notes. Authorities had collaboration between Sri Lanka “I am requesting the Indian lifted this ban after the visit and Pakistan had increased government, please resolve it of Prime Minister Narendra tremendously in modern as early as possible. Otherwise Modi to Nepal. times for promoting cultural, people may lose their faith in Asked about the proposed civilisational and trade dialogue. the Government of Nepal and rail link between China and The expo features leading naturally in Government of Nepal, the envoy said his land- Pakistani companies and India too,” Upadhyay said dur- locked country has the right to manufacturers of engineering ing an interaction at the For- access other possible routes, products, agro products, textile eign Correspondents Club in adding Indo-Nepal engage- and clothing, handicraft, cutlery, Sri Lankan Tamils cook a ritual ‘Pongal’ dish, rice cooked with several other pulses in Colombo. Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka are New Delhi. ment is much deeper and it furniture, carpets, marble and celebrating the Thai Pongal Festival, a thanks giving ceremony for successful harvest. The Nepalese delegation, should not be compared with services. Upadhyay said, is being led Kathmandu’s other ties. Gulf Times 22 Sunday, January 15, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko A backfl ip to reinforce

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] the ‘art of the possible’ Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) 15 years after betraying his Politicians changing loyalties is, (the-then prime minister) Ashraf in the Ashraf cabinet even though his Fax 44350474 party for power and pelf, of course, not uncommon. Hayat’s to write to the Swiss authorities to name was duly approved for a ministry backfl ip, therefore, is unlikely to send reopen cases of corruption against under the power sharing agreement. Faisal Saleh Hayat claims the news cycle into a tizzy, but off ers his own president that had been In one fell swoop, Zardari had taken ‘new verve’ for a colourful spectacle in a frenzied closed after the Musharraf regime what most pundits saw as sweet election year eve. stopped pursuing it as part of a revenge - with both adversarial chief Zardari-inspired return To start with, the unforgiving future power-sharing deal with the justice Chaudhry and party deserter independent media quickly put Hayat PPP that would allow the General Hayat fi nding a bit of comeuppance; GULF TIMES on the mat for the controversial re- to hang up his boots and become a the latter, in particular, in a classic By Kamran Rehmat Doha entry into a party, which historically civilian president. turn. suff ers from serious image problems Chaudhry, by then, had already Last week, Hayat was invited by in terms of probity. Expectedly, the dismissed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Zardari to Bilawal House where he ormer British prime minister numerous TV channels he graced Zardari’s first prime minister, citing agreed to rejoin the party. Indulgent Davos to focus on Harold Wilson had once replayed past footage where he contempt of court for not writing TV talk show anchors rubbed it in famously quipped that “a appeared to speak from a vantage the same letter. Chaudhry’s actions to pointedly ask Hayat if he had Fweek is a long time in politics”. point, openly blasting PPP supremo were largely seen as vindictive rediscovered ‘cleaner’ leadership or if Perhaps, the maths would need Asif Zardari and his cronies for for Zardari’s refusal to restore the he was able to prevail upon Zardari “to four key leadership reconfi guration with the return of committing what he claimed was superior court judges, including mend the corrupt ways of the past” Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat to the fold of unprecedented corruption that had Chaudhry, that Musharraf had he had once vocally spoken about. the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). brought the country to the edge of suspended under a sweeping Similar posers were made about how, Elected multiple times, the 65-year- precipice. Emergency edict to forestall the if, he would reconcile with the former challenges for 2017 old former federal minister from To his credit, Hayat even took Raja possibility of a judgement against his prime ministers, Yousaf Raza Gilani the Jhang constituency of Punjab, Pervaiz Ashraf, the water and power presidential candidature. and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. Pakistan’s most populous – and in minister (who, later shockingly, Zardari had succeeded Musharraf A squirming Hayat could only Social inclusion and development are the issues that terms of critical mass, the power became prime minister), to the as president after his party won comment that he had seen a “new may take the centre stage at this year’s World Economic defi ning – province, Hayat has fallen Supreme Court, alleging he had power in the 2008 elections and verve” and tried to defl ect the posers Forum (WEF) in Davos from January 17 to 20. back on a tried and tested formula to received kickbacks in a controversial the latter resigned under the threat on the Zardari connection with fashion a re-entry into mainstream rental power plant scheme. Old of impeachment. Zardari however, laboured assertions on the “fresh The “meeting of the powerful and super-rich” at politics. footage aired by most TV channels reneged on a promise to restore leadership” of Bilawal Bhutto, the the Swiss ski resort is expected to focus on four key He was last elected on a PPP ticket showed Hayat taking on Ashraf where the judges, fearing similar actions party’s 28-year-old chairperson and leadership challenges for 2017 – strengthening global in 2002, but made a power grab by the former challenges the latter to from a Chaudhry-led Supreme Zardari’s son. collaboration, revitalising economic growth, reforming turning coat and forming a forward say on oath – on a holy scripture he Court bench. It turned out to be Interestingly, Hayat had only bloc – the so-called PPP-Patriots – to pulls out from his shirt pocket in the a prescient decision, but one that met Zardari until last week though capitalism and preparing for the ‘Fourth Industrial deliver crucial support to the “king’s live broadcast – that Zardari and backfi red following a popular street following persistent questioning, he Revolution’ – a huge leap powered by the digital age, party” – Pakistan Muslim League- his cronies were not the recipients movement that forced Zardari’s hand said without any conviction that he which is transforming the way we live and work. Quaid (PML-Q) – propped up by of kickbacks in the scam and if he to eventually restore Chaudhry and his had a word with Bilawal as well. Global leaders, experts, technocrats and celebrities General Pervez Musharraf to give his (Ashraf) did, he (Hayat) would quit bench. With Zardari reinforcing his from politics, economics, and sport to art and military rule a civilian facade. politics. Ashraf vainly tries to defl ect Back to Hayat and his glittering high stranglehold over the party following Hayat was rewarded with the the challenge in the video clip. pitch on the “corrupt” PPP leadership. his return last month from a long entertainment are among the more than 3,000 important interior ministry and Eventually, the Supreme Court By then, he had joined the PML-Q, self-imposed exile, it will take some participants who have already registered for the event. continued to benefi t from spoils came to indict Ashraf over the scam, but in a bizarre quirk of fate, Hayat ‘political’ heart for his son to forgive Coming as it does after the two surprising mandates further down the road before the law but it came to naught for lack of was forced to vote for Raja Pervaiz someone who, as a close aide of his in 2016 – Brexit or Britain’s exit from the European of averages caught up with him. He concrete evidence. Ashraf – the very man he had taken to mother – two-time prime minister was disqualifi ed from contesting the The overriding view at the time court for alleged corruption – as prime Benazir Bhutto – betrayed her trust Union and Donald Trump’s election to the White last general elections in 2013 following was that Iftikhar Chaudhry, the chief minister following a power-sharing while she was still alive. House, this year’s meet at Davos assumes greater charges of electricity and irrigation justice, had a bone to pick with (the- deal between his party and the ruling signifi cance. water theft! then president) Zardari and wanted PPP. Hayat however, refused to serve zThe writer is Community Editor. Most analysts agreed 2016 was a turbulent time for global aff airs, with a backlash against globalisation leading to the two surprising vote results and a rise in populism in the West. As the power balance in the world shifts, the theme of the meeting is “Responsive and responsible leadership”. How can leaders be responsive to the genuine frustration of people left behind by globalised market capitalism, in a responsible way that off ers workable, fair and sustainable solutions? As Professor Klaus Schwab, founder A highlight of and executive chairman of the World forum is that the Economic Forum topmost Chinese put it, “The world around us is changing leader will be in at unprecedented speed. At this tipping attendance point, our traditional concepts of society and meaningful employment are challenged, and many understandably feel insecure or even threatened.” Davos revolves round the idea that the only way to address big challenges is to talk to all groups in society and all members of the international community. This is multi-stakeholder theory, and the organisers of the forum argue it’s as relevant today as it was in 1971, when the fi rst annual meeting was held in the COMEBACK: Faisal Saleh Hayat has re-entered political mainstream by rejoining the PPP. Swiss town. This year, the meeting will include ‘Shaping Davos’, an initiative to connect leaders with young people from 20 cities around the world to address the concerns of the millennial generation, as well as 30 Security risks in Trump feud with spy agencies sessions dedicated to fi nding better ways to deal with humanitarian crises, and a number of sessions from By Warren Strobel and John Walcott the president,” one former senior US overseas, have drafted and in many combined budgets of more than $70bn social entrepreneurs – people who harness the power of Washington offi cial said. cases signed but not dated their and tens of thousands of employees. Trump’s transition team did not resignation letters. They are responsible for everything business for social good. reply to e-mail messages seeking “There is great anxiety here about from warning of terrorist attacks to A highlight of this year’s forum is that the topmost n unprecedented pre- comment. the president-elect’s apparent disdain supporting American troops on the Chinese leader will be in attendance. Chinese President presidential inauguration “I think it’s a recipe for disaster,” for the work we do and the dangers battlefi eld and analysing the impacts Xi Jinping will be at the head of an 80-strong delegation feud between Donald Trump said Daniel Benjamin, who served we face,” a second senior intelligence of global trends such as climate of business executives and billionaires, thus leading the Aand intelligence agencies in senior White House and State offi cial, at another agency, said. change. that soon will be under his command Department counter-terrorism posts He and others spoke on condition Several former US offi cials said the country’s biggest-ever delegation to what some call as could harm US security if not under Democratic presidents. of anonymity to discuss intelligence tensions with Trump were the worst “the celebration of capitalism in the Swiss Alps”. quickly defused, current and former Benjamin, now at Dartmouth matters and morale at their agencies. they could recall since President Government delegations from the world’s top 20 government offi cials said. College, said there was a “strong The latest round of rancor began George W Bush and the CIA traded They said morale at the CIA and chance” people would leave and with a CNN report that Trump had blame in 2003 and 2004 over the economies – G20 nations will also be in Davos, where other agencies was already sagging they have “tremendous value” to the been briefed Jan. failure to fi nd weapons of mass the new Secretary-General of the United Nations because of disputes with Trump over private sector. 6 by intelligence and law destruction in Iraq. Antonio Guterres is scheduled to speak. whether Russian President Vladimir Complicating the situation just enforcement chiefs on a two-page But Douglas Wise, a former senior However, it is important to understand that Davos Putin ordered interference in the a week before Republican Trump is memo summarising the unverifi ed CIA offi cial, said it will be harder is meant just to be a platform, a facilitator rather than US election and over leaks about an sworn in, two of his nominees for top claims in the dossier. for Trump to “beat up” on his own unsubstantiated dossier compiled security posts set a diff erent tone at In blaming intelligence agencies intelligence chiefs once they are in a decision-making forum. It is a way of getting all by a private security fi rm suggesting their Senate confi rmation hearings, for the leak, Trump wrote on Twitter: place instead of offi cials appointed by the people who can make a diff erence, who might not Moscow had compromising heaping praise on the men and women “One last shot at me. Are we living in Democratic President Barack Obama. otherwise meet, in the same room! information on Trump. who work in the secret world of Nazi Germany?” “I think things are going to change,” Unless addressed, the disputes intelligence gathering. Spy chief Clapper called Trump Wise said. could prompt the departure of Republican congressman Mike before dinnertime on Wednesday to Still, tensions seem likely to persist personnel and lead those who remain Pompeo, nominee for Central calm the waters. after Inauguration Day on Jan. 20. To Advertise to take fewer risks to counter security Intelligence Agency director, said Trump and Clapper diff ered Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, threats, the offi cials said. on Thursday that he has seen CIA on what was said in the phone who will be Trump’s national security [email protected] In the last few months, Trump has personnel “walk through fi re.” conversation. adviser, led the Pentagon’s Defence Display expressed his willingness to deal with Separately, Trump’s nominee for On Friday, Trump appeared to again Intelligence Agency until he was fi red Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Putin and denigrated the work of the US defence secretary, James Mattis, blame US spies for the leak. by Clapper. intelligence agencies. told senators that he had a “very, “Probably released by He has a long-time suspicion of the Classified Last week, the President-elect very high degree of confi dence” in US ‘intelligence’ even knowing there is CIA, according to Wise and others Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 accused agencies of leaking the intelligence agencies. no proof and never will be,” he said who have worked with him. dossier’s information to the media, Mattis also put Russia at the top of a on Twitter. “What Pompeo said was somewhat Subscription but Director of National Intelligence list of threats to US interests. US intelligence agency personnel reassuring, but it’s not at all clear [email protected] James Clapper said he did not believe A top official at one intelligence “are kind of shell-shocked at whether that matters, or whether intelligence offi cials were responsible agency said a growing number of being accused of being Nazis and Trump’s apparent attitude and Flynn’s for the leak. intelligence officers over the age intentionally leaking this stuff ,” the bitterness toward us is what counts,” 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved “People shooting at (the CIA) is of 50 and with at least 20 years of former senior offi cial said. the second senior intelligence offi cial pretty common. But usually it’s not service, including at least five years The 17 US intelligence agencies have said. - Reuters Gulf Times Sunday, January 15, 2017 23 COMMENT Jai Jawan...it’s only a slogan

The ordinary Indian On a berth in the next compartment, ordinary soldiers had to make do Selvaraj lay writhing in agony, his with only dry chapatis and watery soldier is someone who faint, mournful groans suggesting dal curry while on duty in freezing just manages to scrape by extreme discomfort. He was a soldier temperatures. According to him, his and was being encouraged to hang superiors sold the free provisions when he is alive and gets on by his colleagues until they got to meant for the soldiers in the open celebrated only in death Madras (now Chennai) some 1,600km market and made money illegally. away. The video opened up a can of worms as a martyr, especially if I thought he was suff ering from and sent the army and the government death occurs during battle some illness, but a closer inspection scrambling for a logical explanation, revealed he was bleeding from with the army chief and the home a wound in his thigh which his minister assuring swift action. And By Anil John colleagues kept wrapping up in swiftly enough, Yadav has been Doha bandage. As it turned out Selvaraj had branded a chronic alcoholic and a accidentally shot himself at his base serial off ender by his organisation, the somewhere in northern India just Border Security Force! To add insult to The soldier’s main enemy is not before his vacation started, but fearing injury, he has been assigned plumbing the opposing soldier, but his own offi cial apathy had chosen not to duties. commander. – Ramman Kenoun report the incident to his superiors. Immediately after the video went “He would have had to answer lots viral, a few similar videos appeared, lmost 25 years ago, while of questions if he approached his but matters really took a grave turn on travelling with the Vidarbha superiors with the wound and could Thursday when a paramilitary soldier Ranji Trophy cricket team have even lost his job,” one of the from one of India’s elite security units Aand a group of army men soldiers accompanying him told me. shot dead four of his senior offi cers. heading home for the festival of Diwali Selvaraj was barely 25 but had already The Central Industrial Security Force for company, I could gather fi rsthand gained an insight into the working of (CISF) soldier was stressed because he the miserable plight of the ordinary the army. Never trust your superiors: Tej Bahadur Yadav (inset): lamenting his pathetic existence had not been allowed to go on leave by Indian soldier. that, tragically, seemed to be the his superiors. This is not the fi rst time It was a wintry night in New Delhi lesson he had learnt. of rigorous physical training, they treating soldiers shabbily after it came more humane manner by government a soldier has killed his colleagues or when we boarded the train for the It did not surprise me one bit. I have eat their breakfast. Then they train to light that a disabled army man was authorities, particularly, in respect of superiors in a fi t of rage. Even suicides nearly 850km journey to Nagpur. I seen with my own eyes Indian soldiers further. After that we make them being paid a paltry Rs1,000 a month as their emoluments, pension and other are common in the army. According was assigned to cover a Ranji Trophy doing things that are beneath the work so hard in the day that they pension. benefi ts,” the judges added. to estimates about 100 soldiers kill cricket match and was supposed dignity of their profession. They run immediately fall asleep after dinner. The court came down hard on When in 2010, 76 personnel themselves every year, mostly during to have travelled in relative second errands for their bosses, like dropping We ensure that they don’t even have the Centre and dismissed its appeal of India’s Central Reserve Police their postings in tense regions. class luxury, but when we arrived their children at school and buying the energy to think,” the major said, challenging a Punjab and Haryana force (CRPF) were killed by Maoist As a kid I remember being caught up at the railway station we learnt that grocery. They water the plants in adding, “A soldier is only supposed to High Court direction to pay a higher terrorists in Central India’s Dantewada in a swirl of patriotic fervour whenever the man tasked with arranging our the compounds of large government follow orders, not think.” pension to C S Sidhu, a short service village, reports emerged of their I heard slogans such as ‘Jai Jawan, Jai tickets had pulled a fast one on us and bungalows the army gives its majors It struck me as grossly unfair. The commissioned offi cer. Sidhu’s right pathetic living conditions, outdated Kisan’ (long live the soldier, long live disappeared with the money. and colonels. They even salute their ordinary Indian soldier is someone arm had to be amputated after an equipment and a general disregard the farmer). But these days, it fails to With the festive season due, all superiors’ wives and drop them to who just manages to scrape by when accident while on duty at a high for their wellbeing on the part of the resonate with me, and probably many trains were packed to capacity, leaving kitty parties. he is alive and gets celebrated only in altitude post on November 21, 1970. government. The reports only served others. With farmers, too, taking their us with no option but to buy current I remember a conversation I once death as a martyr, especially if death “This is a pittance. If this is to confi rm suspicions that all was own lives in their thousands because tickets and cram ourselves into an had with an army major who told me occurs during battle. Then his family the manner in which the army not well with the country’s defence of mounting debts due to crop failures, unreserved car with wooden seats and how he kept the soldiers under his would be rewarded by the government personnel are treated, it is extremely set-up. the purportedly celebratory slogan has stinking toilets. To add to our misery, command busy throughout the day so with money and praise he would have unfortunate,” a bench of Justices So what has changed in all these acquired a melancholic tone. Ironical most of the windows of the bogie that they didn’t have time for anything never had in his lifetime. Maybe he Markandeya Katju and A K Patnaik years? Practically little, one is forced for a country that boasts a 7.5% were broken, and as the Jammutawi- else, because a soldier with lots of free would even get a last ride in a fancy, said then. to say. The Narendra Modi-led growth rate and sees itself as a future Madras Express picked up speed, the time was like a “dangerous walking scam-tainted coffi n, as it happened “The army personnel are bravely government is facing fl ak now after a superpower. November chill almost froze us to the weapon”. after the Kargil confl ict in 1999. defending the country even at the video emerged of a soldier lamenting bone. “They (the soldiers) are ordered to A few years ago, India’s Supreme cost of their lives and we feel they his pathetic existence. Constable zAnil John is Sports Editor of Gulf But our plight was still bearable. wake up at 4.30am. After three hours Court took the government to task for should be treated in a better and Tej Bahadur Yadav complained that Times. Weather report Trump before Trump Three-day forecast TODAY High: 22 C By Barry Eichengreen ‘the River Tiber foaming with much sacrifi ces, its prideful nationalism, build an anti-system movement that Low : 14 C Berkeley blood.’” and as a counterbalance to other might weaken the foundations of the Powell’s equivalent of Trump’s self-interested foreign powers (read: country’s parliamentary democracy. Strong wind and high seas at first Mexican bogeyman was Indian and the US). Third, public dissatisfaction with nderstanding the political Pakistani immigration, which he The apex of Powell’s infl uence was British politics in Powell’s heyday success of US President- portrayed as threatening the British bracketed by the “Rivers of Blood,” was more limited than Americans’ MONDAY elect Donald Trump is way of life. “Ordinary people,” he which made him a national fi gure, political dissatisfaction in the age High: 23 C Unot easy. There have been asserted, knew that the true number and his defection from the Tories. of Trump. Even in the economically Low: 16 C many glib comparisons with populist of immigrants was larger than offi cial Quitting the party left him a political disastrous 1970s, British voters were M Sunny politicians of the past, from Huey government fi gures showed. Powell outcast. Although Powell left the not prepared to reject the political Long to George Wallace. But the most went on to advocate large-scale House of Commons once and for all status quo. Discontent and disillusion revealing comparison may be with an repatriation of immigrants to their only in 1987, his political infl uence was were not “accompanied by a basic TUESDAY historical fi gure from another country: country of origin. increasingly marginal. questioning of British political High: 23 C the British nativist fi rebrand Enoch The “Rivers of Blood” speech was Why, then, did Powell – unlike institutions,” in the words of Powell’s Low: 14 C Powell in the late 1960s and early denounced as evil by no less than The Trump – fail to scale the higher biographer, Douglas Schoen. Sunny 1970s. Times. But it won Powell a dedicated reaches of power? And what does Finally, the structure of the political At first glance, the comparison following among working-class voters his failure tell us about the Trump system worked against a maverick might seem peculiar. Powell experiencing hard economic times, phenomenon and the prospects for its like Powell. In Britain, MPs, not the Fishermen’s forecast repetition in other countries? electorate, choose the prime minister. came from a lower-middle-class discomforted by the “invasion” of OFFSHORE DOHA family. He was a classical scholar their neighbourhoods by Asian and First, there were limits on Powell’s Only in a full-blown crisis can popular Wind: NW 5-15 KT of true erudition and a man of Caribbean immigrants, and prone to ability to mobilise public opinion. He opinion eff ectively determine who Waves: 2-4 Feet principle. He was also a political confl ate the two phenomena. was able to attract attention mainly by becomes leader. This institutional INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 4-14 KT insider, having served as Member Moreover, the parallels with delivering speeches and encouraging arrangement creates a high barrier to Waves: 1-2/3 Feet of Parliament since 1950 and as Trump extend beyond hostility to his followers to circulate the text. populist outsiders. the junior minister for housing in immigration. Powell was fervently With the exception of two tabloids, Maybe, then, the ultimate lesson of Around the region Prime Minister Anthony Eden’s pro-business. He was a committed coverage by the establishment press the Powell-Trump comparison is that Weather Weather government in 1955. nationalist who rejected any and of his “Rivers of Blood” speech ranged a presidential system of government, today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Still, the parallels with Trump are all foreign alliances that threatened from skeptical to outright hostile. And like that in the US, is not superior Abu Dhabi P Cloudy 21/16 Sunny 23/17 undeniable. In his notorious 1968 Britain’s policy independence. the establishment press was all there in terms of the checks it imposes on Baghdad Cloudy 13/04 Sunny 16/04 Dubai “Rivers of Blood” speech, Powell, He implacably opposed joining was. The 1960s and 1970s, recall, were political extremists. On the contrary, M Sunny 23/14 M Sunny 24/16 Kuwait City M Sunny 19/11 Sunny 20/09 a skilled orator, broke decisively the European Union (then the when the BBC ruled the airwaves. the opposite may be true. – Project Manama M Sunny 21/15 S Showers 22/16 with the political mainstream. He European Economic Community) Powell had no equivalent of Twitter Syndicate Muscat P Cloudy 23/17 Sunny 26/17 decried immigration and denounced on the grounds that doing so would to spread the word, and there was no Riyadh P Cloudy 24/13 Sunny 24/08 the Race Relations Act of 1968, compromise British identity and Fox News or Breitbart to create an zBarry Eichengreen is a professor at Tehran P Cloudy 08/01 P Cloudy 10/01 which prohibited discrimination in sovereignty. He left the Conservative ideological echo chamber. the University of California, Berkeley, housing, employment, and lending. Party over the issue in 1974. Second, Powell fundamentally and the University of Cambridge. The passage giving his controversial Curiously, Powell, like Trump, was believed in the British parliamentary His latest book is Hall of Mirrors: speech its name alluded to inner city also pro-Russian. Notwithstanding his system, having grown up in it. He was The Great Depression, the Great riots in the United States and invoked free-market principles, he appreciated reluctant to harness his followers’ Recession, and the Uses – and Misuses Virgil: “Like the Roman, I seem to see the Soviet Union for its World War II nativism and economic insecurity to – of History. Live issues Nutrition tips to maximise your workouts

Tribune News Service exercising. Eating too much can leave peanut butter sandwiches, pasta with Washington you sluggish, and eating too little may meatballs and chicken with brown not give you the energy to stay strong rice. Around the world during your workout. Weather Weather id you know when and what DRINK UP today Max/min tomorrow Max/min you eat can have an impact SNACK WELL Remember to drink fl uids. You need Athens P Cloudy 14/07 S Showers 13/07 on your workout? Eating and Most people can eat small snacks adequate fl uids before, during and Beirut P Cloudy 16/09 M Sunny 18/12 P Cloudy 31/24 exercise are connected. right before and during exercise. It’s after exercise to prevent dehydration. Bangkok 32/24 P Cloudy D Berlin S Showers 01/-4 S Showers 01/-6 According to Dr John M Murphy, important to do what feels best for The American College of Sports Cairo P Cloudy 19/09 P Cloudy 21/09 Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health you. Snacks shortly before exercising Medicine recommends you drink two Cape Town Cloudy 24/16 Cloudy 25/16 System, you can maximise the probably won’t give you an energy to three cups of water before your Colombo P Cloudy 33/23 Sunny 33/22 eff ectiveness of your workouts by What you eat can have an impact on boost, but they can help maintain workout, half to one cup of water Dhaka Sunny 25/12 Sunny 26/12 Hong Kong Cloudy 17/14 P Cloudy 18/16 using a few tips: your workout. Follow the tips to max- blood sugar levels and prevent every 15 to 20 minutes during your Istanbul Rain 06/02 Rain 07/05 imise their eff ectiveness. distracting hunger pains. Good snack workout, and two to three cups after Jakarta M Cloudy 32/24 T Storms 30/24 EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST options include energy bars, yogurt, your workout for every pound of Karachi P Cloudy 22/11 Sunny 22/12 If you exercise in the morning, get too. Emphasise carbohydrates for low-fat granola bars and peanut butter weight you lose during the workout. London Rain 09/03 P Cloudy 07/01 Manila P Cloudy P Cloudy 29/23 up early enough to finish breakfast maximum energy. sandwiches. “The duration and intensity of your 30/23 Moscow Snow 01/-4 M Cloudy -3/-6 at least one hour before your workout will determine how often New Delhi M Sunny 21/09 Sunny 21/07 workout. This will give you energy SIZE MATTERS EAT AFTER YOU EXERCISE and what you should eat and drink,” New York Sunny 07/-2 M Sunny 07/02 and raise your blood sugar. If you You want to be careful not to overeat Eating after you exercise will help says Murphy. “Pay attention to how Paris Rain& Snow 04/01 P Cloudy 03/-5 don’t eat, you might feel sluggish or before exercise. Eat large meals at least your muscles recover. If possible, you feel during your workout, as well Sao Paulo S T Storms 29/19 T Storms 28/21 Seoul Sunny 01/-8 Sunny 03/-8 lightheaded when you exercise. Good three to four hours before exercising. within two hours, you’ll want to eat as your overall performance. Let your Singapore T Storms 33/24 T Storms 32/24 breakfast options include whole- Small meals should be eaten two to a meal that contains protein and body guide you on which eating habits Sydney S Showers 23/19 Cloudy 27/19 grain cereals or bread, bananas, three hours before exercising. You carbohydrates. Good post-workout work best for you.” - Mayo Clinic Tokyo Clear 06/-3 Clear 08/-1 and yoghurt. A cup of coffee is OK, can have small snacks an hour before food choices include yogurt and fruit, News Network Gulf Times 24 Sunday, January 15, 2017 QATAR Fun, fi reworks mark fi rst week of Shop Qatar ctivities for the fi rst Qatar festival that off ers an array munity Development and the weekend of Shop Qatar of entertainment and shopping Bedaya Centre for Entrepre- Aconcluded yesterday, activities was launched on Janu- neurship, which have made this following three days of fun and ary 7. weekend’s off ering so rich and fi reworks on the Doha Cor- Festival partners include Mall diverse, are a source of pride for niche, as well as a raffl e draw of Qatar, Ezdan Mall, Hyatt Pla- us. When planning Shop Qatar, in which QR810,000 worth of za, Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall, we focused on creating oppor- cash prizes were won by lucky Gulf Mall, Landmark, Dar Al tunities to make local products shoppers. Salam Mall, The Gate and The and innovations available for More than 21,000 vouchers Pearl-Qatar. residents and visitors, and we were entered into the draw, rep- Mashal Shahbik, director, hope they will continue to enjoy resenting more than QR4.3mn of festivals and tourism events, them throughout the month- spending throughout the fi rst six Qatar Tourism Authority, said: long festival.” days of Shop Qatar. “We are delighted that a large Khalifa al-Kubaisi, head, Fun activities on the Corniche Visitors and residents have number of families, both resi- press offi ce at Qatar Foundation, three more chances to win by dents and visitors, came out commented: “We are delighted innovation through imagina- manager, the Bedaya Center for guidance and a range of serv- with a platform to showcase their shopping or dining at partici- to the Doha Corniche to enjoy to see Siraj being screened to tion, and we are very grateful to Entrepreneurship and Career ices that hone their skills as well products and projects. This de- pating restaurants and outlets in Shop Qatar’s outdoor activi- such a wide audience on the Qatar Tourism Authority for the Development (Bedaya Center), as the best programmes, means livers on the needs of small and any of the 10 partner malls. ties this weekend. Our partner- Doha Corniche this weekend. opportunity to introduce Siraj to added: “The Bedaya Center’s and platforms. As such, we see medium enterprises (SMEs) in Organised by Qatar Tourism ships with local organisations, Siraj is designed to promote and children and parents attending primary objective is to enable Shop Qatar – and other festivals a continuous and sustainable Authority (QTA), the fi rst edi- including Qatar Foundation for preserve the Arabic language, the Shop Qatar Festival.” entrepreneurs to take their fi rst organised by Qatar Tourism Au- fashion that is aligned with Qatar tion of the month-long Shop Education, Science and Com- while stimulating creativity and Reem al-Sowaidi, general steps to success. We provide thority – to be supporting youth National Vision 2030.”

Salam off icials and guests watch a weaver at work. One of the exquisitely designed carpets from the classical Hereke collection on display at The Gate Mall. Stunning collection of Hereke carpets on display at Gate Mall

rt lovers and collectors “We are truly proud to sup- taken artists over six years or of supporting multiple artistic in Qatar have the op- port The Gate Mall in its eff orts more to create because they have initiatives by launching an art Aportunity to see a stun- to enrich and elevate the art and followed a timeless tradition and season at the beginning of Oc- ning collection of ‘legendary culture environment in Qatar revived a glorious artistic herit- tober 2016. The season is set to carpets’ at the Hereke Carpet through initiatives like this,” age that is genuinely breathtak- culminate at the end of January exhibition, taking place at The Salam International chairman ing,” he stressed. at the Hereke carpet exhibition. Gate Mall’s Maysaloun Hall and CEO Issa AbdulSalam Abu Hailing from an ancient town Han Hali, the creators of the until January 31. Issa said at the opening of the in Turkey and laying claim to carpets currently on display at The exhibition, organised by exhibition last week. a unique artistic heritage of its The Gate Mall, have developed Salam International Investment He noted that the exhibition own, Hereke carpets are historic a portfolio of more than 25,000 and Han Hali, leading produc- gives people a reason to revisit a masterpieces. exquisite carpet designs among tion house of Turkey’s Hereke rich historical legacy of the re- From Buckingham Palace to which are collections in the likes carpets, features 100% hand- gion and truly appreciate stun- the Hermitage Museum in St of classical Hereke with fabulous made silk carpets that custom- ning craftsmanship. Petersburg, the White House to Ottoman motifs, to Turkish-Is- arily carry 64 knots and over- According to Abu Issa, the Château de Versailles, the car- lamic designs that celebrate the loops per centimetre, making it a history behind creating this pets are known to adorn iconic illustrious transition to Islam. tribute to the unending patience particular type of carpet goes locations celebrating an artistic Istanbul Voyage is another of its weaver. as far back as the mid-15th discipline that is admired by the picturesque collection of fasci- A Hereke weaver is said to tie century. world. nating panoramas of Istanbul. at least 1mn knots in a fi nished “A glance around the display, As a leading player in Qatar’s These, among many other de- carpet while crafting extremely will confi rm that most of these luxury and retail sector, The signs form the full collection at intricate, fi ne designs. modern pieces on display have Gate Mall has built a reputation the exhibition. A classical Hereke collection carpet on display at The Gate Mall. QRCS team treats 65 for heart defects in Bangladesh

atar Red Crescent So- to make them happy and be- which restored smiles and ciety’s (QRCS) medical gin their new lives with a fresh heartbeats for young kids and Qdelegation to Bangla- hope. revived the hope of desperate desh has successfully completed Ahmed M al-Dehaimi, Qatar parents, by virtue of the dona- its annual cardiac catheterisa- ambassador in Dhaka, visited tions of Qatari benefactors,” he tion project, at a total cost of the National Institute of Cardio- added. QR501,600. vascular Diseases and met with Ahmed al-Khulaifi , head of Over seven consecutive days, the medical and supporting staff QRCS delegation, said, “This 65 children underwent catheter- to thank them for their great ef- project was completed success- isation procedures to treat con- forts. fully. The support from Nation- genital heart defects, including “QRCS’s cardiac catheterisa- al Institute of Cardiovascular atrial septal defect, ventricular tion project represents the true Diseases and its personnel was septal defect, and patent duc- sense of solidarity and humani- particularly helpful in overcom- tus arteriosus. These disorders tarianism of the state and peo- ing all challenges. We in QRCS cause serious problems to the ple of Qatar, who have always were an intermediate factor in heart and lungs and, if untreat- been there for the poor families delivering the donations of Qa- ed, could be fatal. who need education, medica- tari society to those in need in Some cases had special com- tion, shelter, and food,” said al- Bangladesh”. plications, like Shimouata, who Dehaimi. Since its launch in 2004, had unilateral hemianopia and “I hope this work would con- QRCS’s cardiac catheterisation partial hearing loss and Man- tinue and grow to cover more project has covered a total of 425 soura Khatoun who was born needy people in Bangladesh and patients in Sudan (four times), deaf and dumb. elsewhere. I would like to thank Syria, Morocco, Mauritania Gifts and toys were presented everyone who contributed to (two times), Gaza, Jordan, and QRCS and Bangladesh off icials who participated in the programme to the children, in an attempt this invaluable achievement, Bangladesh.